Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 3

Free Press Telephones To Place Want Ads 222-6800 For Home Delivery 222-6500 City News Desk 222-6600 Insurance Dept. 222-6470 All Other Calls 222-6400 Detroit 4fftee THE SECOND FRONT PAGE Page 3, Section A Wednesday, March 13. 1974 Todav7s Chuckle The worst thing about living in a mobile home is that here's no place to put any-th ng except where it belongs. Milliken Asks Tougher Handgun Laws Program Leveled At Criminal Uses BY ROGER LANE Free Press Lansing-Staff LANSING Gov. Milliken called on the Legislature Tuesday for stricter controls on handguns and asked longer prison terms for felons who use them in crime.

In a special message to the legislators on criminal justice the governor frowned on the sweeping constitutional ban on handguns urged by Detroit Police Commissioner Philip Tannian. Milliken likewise parted company with those who advocate merely enforcing existing law. "I believe that the penalties for the commission of a felony while in possession of a handgun should be increased by not less than five consecutive years of imprisonment in addition to any sentence for the felony itsell," he said. Free Press Photo by HUGH GR ANNUM open to women from all towns and of all ages, begin March 25 at the school. Mrs.

Berman swears by belly dancing as an enjoyable and effective means to "stay in shape, alleviate tension and get a feeling of well-being." Veteran belly dancer Diana Berman leads her students through the shimmies and shakes at Oak Park High School in Oak Park, where Mrs. Berman offers weekly Tuesday night lessons as part of the school's adult education program. New classes, Shaking Up The Class An aide, giving an example, said a burglar under present law might, on conviction, be sentenced to two to five years in prison. By statute, the Milliken formula would convert such a sentence into seven to 10 years. A CONVICT on good behavior could gain eligibility for parole upon serving roughly two-thirds of the minimum.

That would mean actually serving 16 months in the given example, or something over four years with the additional Milliken-recommended penalty provision. The governor also suggested leniency tor first offenders, and "progressively severe mandatory sentences for each additional offense." THE GOVERNOR did no! address himself directly to the a i a plan, which has driven a wedge of sorts between Tannian and Detroit Mayor Young, who opposes the plan. Instead, Milliken said: "Experts are weary of advising that removing handguns from private hands will reduce the murder, assault and robbery that afflicts us. "Such proposals run into a storm of protest from sportsman's groups and those who 1 simply believe that if 'they' have guns need one, too. "The damage largely has been done: unregistered handguns already are in thousands of Michigan households.

Our concern is how to minimize the potential danger of their original use." Home Value Falls, but Her Tax Rises "I should get free laxes just to siav in the neighborhood, it's siting; so bad. Mrs. Clark said that onlv the real estate speculators could get that much for the homes, that she and the other residents couldn't. At that point councilman David Eberhard said he was familiar with the block, that it was "bombed out," that it "looks like World War II" and that the council should re-examine assessments in the whole nieghborhood. Mrs.

Clark was told she probably would receive a new, lower assessment within a few days. After she was excused, Mrs. Clark explained that she and her late husband, a clerk with the Department of Parks and Recreation, bought the house tor $9,000 in 19T7. By I967 she estimates the house was worth "nearly $20,000." "I don't think I should even be paying taxes. I should get fre taxes just to stay in the neighborhood, it's getting so bad," she said.

"1 don't know what I'm gong to do. But I know that once 1 sell the house, I'm not staying in Detroit." BY DAVE ANDERSON Free Press Staff Writer Over the last six years Mrs. Margaret Clark, a widow, esli males her neat three-bedroom home on Detroit's changing east side has lost in value. The loss is bad enough, says Mrs. Clark, but what makes her even angrier is that h'er property taxes have climbed partly because the assessors say her home's value has increased $300 in the last year.

In 1973 her city tax alone was $270. This year she got a bill for $308. TUESDAY SHF TOOK her complaint to Common Council, which lias been hearing lax compla.nts since Monday and will continue to hear Ihem through March 27. During the first two days the councilmen heard about 120 cases, graining relief in about half of them. If they cannot hear the approximately 1,100 cases expected al the current rate, they say they will meet evenings and Saturdays.

In III73 Mrs. Clark's 53-year-old frame two story home was assessed at $5,600. The home was taxed at $6,048 because of the slate equalization factor multipliers assigned to various areas of Michigan to insure that all property is assessed equally throughout the state. Lor 1974 Mrs. Clark's home was assessed at $5,750.

Because slate law requires that homes be assessed at half of their market value, the assessor's office is figuring her home to be worth $1 1,500 on the open market. But Mrs. Clark said she has been trying to sell the home at 1256 Earllawn for two years and can't get $11,500 for it. Her best oiler so tar is $4,500, offered last August by a real estate firm which deals with speculators, she said. The home across the street from her, slv told the council, sold this summer for $3,800.

She said that although her home has been well maintained its value has become low because "the neighborhood is integrated and because half the houses on the block are owned by HUD and deserted." A SPOKESMAN For the assessor's office, assigned the job of defending the assessments to the council, said Mrs. Clark's assessment already included a five percent discount because of the deteriorating condition of the neighborhood. He led cases of two similar homes in the neighborhood, one that sold tor in 1 972 and another that sold for $14,900 last year. Sanders Gets A Movie Role THERE WAS a tune a few years back, "You Ought To Be In Pictures," that apparently still holds a strong appeal for a diversified bunch of guys in Our Town. Although most people equate being "in pictures" with appearing before the camera, there are many other ways of achieving that end.

One of them is putting up the money for a movie. That is the function of this group, although one of them may very well wind up in front of the camera. Chap a rn Charlie Sanders. It began when a couple of producers, Max Rosenberg find Mill Subotsky who've specialized in science fiction and horror films, approached attorney Bob Fenton with a proposal to hack a movie to he made in the Shepperton Studios in London. The idea was intriguing since the movie will be based on an old Edgar Rice Burroughs thriller, "The Land That Time Burroughs, course, created Tarzan who has cavorted across the screen ever since Weismullcr came out of the pool and dried himself off.

Many people don't know that Burroughs was also big on Martians and dinosaurs. Hulberl Burroughs, executor nf the estate of his brother who died in IPSO, Ins kept the Other material under wraps for picture purposes until he recently agreed to give the screen rights to "1 and" to Rosenberg and Subotsky. Lenton put together a group Of monev men that included McCarthy. Mickey l.nlich, Ron Monre, a Gosce Poinle tool and die oner lor, Sam Krinsky, a bakery executive, Attorney Ivan Harris, John Naughton ol Ford Motor and Sanders. They have put up SLfiOO.OOO for the production.

Sets are alreadv comph te. Lilming will begin in May. They've already negotiated rights for the United States, the United Kingdom and Can-a and are working on Japan. The film will be released in December and plans call for l.nlich to make a promotional lour of Japan where an American baseball player, especially one of Lolich's stature, should have instant acceptance, Fenton showed Rosenberg a picture of Sanders that appeared in one of the last issues of LIFE. "He looks like a natural to me," Rosenberg enthused.

"Let's get him over here for a screen test." As a result, Lenton and Sandc rs will fly to London April 30. Lenton wanted Sanders to stay at least a week, bin he refused. "I promised to be in Detroit lor the March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon May 5," he said. Distributors have already guaranteed I enterprise before the i I is completed. Says Rosenberg: "We won't win any Academy Awards but we sure intend Id make monev." Thought jr the Dtiv It's had manners to interrupt a person when he is talking, especially if he is praising you.

The Passing Parade Jim Gallagher says there's a funeral parlor on the eastside with a sign in front so modest that it hardly identifies the place. But identification is hardly necessary. The auto dealer next door takes care of both establishments with a huge lighted sign that reads Body Shop Dr. Henry Green, historian of the Detroit District Dental Society, needs help. He's compiled an album 'of past presidents from 1895 to the present, but he's intrigued by a seal that gives the founding of the Society as 1875.

He'd like any pictures, clippings or olber information pertaining to Our Town's dentists between 1 875 and 1895, can be reached at LA 6-2000 or al 15438 Harper. Detroit 4822-1. Cynical Friend of Mine observes that marriage is like boxing; the preliminaries are often more exciting than Duma in event Scofflaws Get Break In Police is Disput say how much in revenue the city is losing by the police tactic but the BPOA spokesman estimated it in "the thousands of dollars" since the rategy started five weeks ago. POLICE CHILE Rollin Tobin contended that only motorists committing parking or minor moving violations are not being ticketed. "Wi feel there's no hazard to the public," he added.

"The police department wouldn't do anything to adenate the public because that's who pays Uiem." The BPOA spokesman said that officers do not want to place the city in jeopardy but seek instead to deny the city revenue from tickets to force settlement of the dispute, which revolves around medical benefits for policemen. Apparently there have been no complaints from the public about the ticket-writing slowdown. "It seems to i.e very good public relations," laughrd Chief Tobin. BY BILL MICHELMORE Fru Pnss Staff Wtitir It's getting pretty hard to get a speeding ticket in Birmingham no matter how fast you're going. The city's police say they have almost stopped ticketing motorists even for serious Offenses, as a way to protest a deadlocked nine-month-old contract dispute.

"Morale in the department is the lowest I've seen in six years," one officer said Tuesday. "The police aren't doing anything anymore unless there's a life Birmingham police normally write about 500 tickets a nion'h for moving violations. Last month they wrote less than 100. "Now it is down to a near stop," the officer said. Thv officer, who is on the board of directors of the Birmingham Police Officers Association (BPOA), would not give his name.

"My job is on tne line just telling you this," he scud. City manager Robert Kenning would not Rights Unit C7 Sued for Sex By Worker BY EILEEN FOLEY Free Press Stall Writer A woman employe of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission has filed a $25 million damage suit against MCRC, its director James Blair and its compliance director John Ferris, charging all three fith sex discrimination and reckless and wanton misconduct. Sharon A. Kennedy, a Lansing-area MCRC field investigator who is now on sick leave nursing an ulcer, filed the suit in Wayne County Circuit Court on her own behalf and for the estimated 25,000 other women who are state employes. The Michigan Civil Service Commission is a co-defendant.

MS. KENNEDY'S complaint charges that women employes of MCRC and other stale agencies are paid less than men, are denied equal promotional opportunities, and are given different assignments from those given men of similar competence or classification. She also said women are subject to conditions on the 1 use of sick time, vacations and other benefits that males-are nol subject to, and that i tv have been reprimanded, suspended or i s-charged for conduct similar to thai of male employes against whom no disciplinary action is taken. Ms. Kennedy was hired by the commission in March 1969 as a secretary.

"I went to work there (he same day," said one of her attorneys, Nicholas Rine, of the Detroit firm of Philo, Maki, Cockrcl, Robb, Spearman and Cooper. "Our academic backgrounds (hen were virlttally identical and we had the same experience in the civil rights movement. But I started out as professional Staff making probably 2Fi to percent more than Sharon did." Ai that time, Rine was not a lawyer. Rine said he believes there has been a trade-Off between the civil rights and civil service commissions, with civil service okaying big money for top administrators in civil rights in exchange for c'vil rights keeping its nose out of Civil service's possibly discriminatory practices. "Civil rights runs a depart ment of 300 and the top administrators are paid more than top administrators in departments with 20 times as many employes.

You nave got to wonder why. Ieasl I do," Rine said. THE ACTING state person nel director, C. J. Hess, satd civil service legal advisers are investigating Ms.

Kennedy's I charges now, and he had jjo comment on the case. He did, deny Piease turn to Page 7A, Col. 1 U-M Oads To ear Ford ANN ARBOR (U PI) The University of Michigan an-i nounced Tuesday that Vice- President Gerald R. Lord will be the principal speaker at the school's spring, commencement exercises May 4. The former representative the slate's Fifth Con- rum gl ional District will also re- an honorary degree of 0 of laws al ilv commencement, scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

in Crislcr Arena. The first Michigan alumnus to reach the vice-presideiv Lord was a 1935 graduate of the school's College of Literature, Science and the Ariv Naked Came the Streaker -At Last-to Chilly U-M 'Everything' Offered in Ad Sells First Day Mrs, F. W. Hoffman, Madison Heights, placed an exclusive Free Press fast-ACTION Want Ad offering a stove, bedroom set and "odds and ends" for sale. "I sold everything I had," said Mrs.

Hoffman. She made her sales the first Jay the ad appeared. Toget the ACTION-packed results you want, place your Action Ad today. Call 222-6800 Special to thi Frti Prass ANN ARBOR Three men and a woman discarded their clothes and stopped traffic on State Street here Tuesday as the streaking craze finally struck the University of Michigan. Braving 3(i-degree temperatures, the Slate Street streakers said they were running "for love, peace and freedom." Among them was a bare young man riding a bicycle.

He was cheered by a crowd of students as he pedaled along the campus thoroughfare. Another group of six streakers four men and two women struck out across the campus commons, a chilly run of about a quarter of a mile. They were accompanied by a reporter from the campus radio station, who carried a portable broadcasting unit to provide live coverage of the huffing and puffing. Late Tuesday night about 5,000 students gathered on the Diag to watch a group of HO nude runners celebrate what was billed as the ''First Annual Streak-In." The half-hour streak was led off by a young man who disrobed in a tree and swung naked to the ground with his wallet in his mouth. IN DETROIT, there were six separate streaks involving 10 to 2(1 nude runners each at the University of Detroit.

Some 300 students gathered to watch the of streaking, which began late Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning. Women Help Kill GOVERNOR SIGNS HILL State to Quit Fast Time in Fall Slate Equality Bill BY ROGER LANE Free Press Lansing Staff LANSING A seemingly innocent sexual reform bill was killed Tuesday when some legislators claimed it would admit men to women's rest rooms, beauty parlors and welfare programs and would prohibit a nurly stevedore from lifting anything that weighed more than 35 pounds. Alter an hour's debate, the Michigan House voted 64 to 31 to send it back to committee for a quiet death. The bill, by Rep Perry Ballard, Arbor, would have added IS words to a century old law setting forth rules for construing other statutes. "Every word importing the female gender only may extend and be applied to males as wel as females," the bill said.

The preceding line in existing law said, in effect, that whenever the word "he" appeared it could be understood to apply in a generic sense to females as well as males. Three women legislators, Reps. Josephine Hunsinger, D-De-t roil Rosetta Ferguson, D-Detroit, and Joyce Symons, D-Allen Park, led the attack on the bill. "This means thai it a husband is and wants to drink one hour, which gave an extra hour of darkness in the mornings, The federal law was designee to conserve energy, but Michigan officials contend that statistics indicated that fuel savings were negligible and the traffic hazard increased for children walking to school in (be morning darkness. Under the measure, the state will return to eastern standard time on Oct.

1 regardless of whether Congress acts to repeal nationwide, year-round DST. The state will go back to daylight saving time in April 197! for the spring and summer months. The law does not applv to the four western most counties in the Upper Peninsula, wfcirh are in the central time one. LANSING (AP) Gov. Milliken signed into law Tuesday a bill that will keep Michigan trom going onto daylight saving time next fall.

Michigan thus became the first state to exempt itself from year-round DST, which was imposed on the nation by Congress in January As he signed the bill, Milliken expressed hope that Congress would act to return the rest of thr nation to standard time next winter. "Federal action would be the thing for Michigan so that it will not be out of step with the rest of the nation," Milliken said. The law, however, dos not apply to DST this winter. In January, Michigan and otner States set their clocks ahead Please turn In Page I2A, Col..