Sun Spots

SUN SPOTS
It's Wednesday night. just before the SUN goes to the printer. National Guard helicopters are patrolling Michigan's highways. John Dean was disbarred today. Egil Krogh is finally in jail while the master plotters are still on the loose, manipulating mythical shortages. And it's time for SUNSPOTS.
We got a letter from Ann Arborite Bruce Forche who is sojourning in Santiago, Chile. Bruce informs us that "my three copies of the SUN, 2 Blind Pig records and a Blind Pig t -shirt were confiscated by the junta." Bruce also relates that "I was taking a walk in the city and all of a sudden military police were all over me. There were soldiers with machine guns, combat helmet, rifles, etc. It seems that after midnight there is a military curfew here and nothing is allowed on the street without exception. Any person that hestitates to stop when called after midnight is SHOT, and as the hotel clerk said. "thrown in the river."
Starting Friday, February 22nd at Hill Auditorium, the Third World People's Solidarity Conference will bring two days of programs, workshops, and gatherings aimed at creating more awareness in A2 of third world reality. At Hill on Friday night, Clyde Bellecourt of the American Indian Movement ( AIM) will speak, as will Angela Davis, at which point the gathering will break up into workshops. The program Saturday starts off with a Mass Rally on the Diag at 11 a.m. in support of the sisters and brothers at the Wounded Knee trials currently underway, where Clyde Bellecourt and others will speak. At 2 p.m. workshops begin again, including one on "Misrepresentation and Repression in Campus Politics", with speakers to include Lee Gill, former SGC President. It looks like a fascinating program. Tickets and more information are available at the Michigan Union ticket counter.
The Future Worlds Lecture Series got off to a great start wtih Ralph Nader last week. Hunter Thompson will appear this Tuesday at Hill (see our calendar). The Series will culminate on the weekend of March 29 with the second annual Future Worlds Conference/Festival, which will include seminars on aging and "low-energy living", demonstrations of a house heated and cooled using wind-generated power, a video environment presenting the aesthetic and cultural potential of television, workshops on prison reform, and of course music and films. Conference/Festival workers ask that people with ideas, projects, etc. visit their office on the second floor of the ever-popular Michigan Union.
You can read about the Dylan concert in this issue's Michigan Boogie, but not about what may have been several incidents of police harassing the people who were standing outside. Tom Feeny walked into our office with a torn up coat he swore was the result of being hit and dragged along the ground by Krasny's Krusaders. Tom also says he say the cops pushing people down the steep incline at Crisler and then dragging them back up while kicking and billy-clubbing. Anyone who witnessed these events please contact the SUN.
In other music news, the new live Commander Cody lp is now available. Cody will probably return to town this March for a few gigs. Eastern Michigan's Pease Auditorium will feature jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard on February 16th, while King Pleasure hosts Larry Coryell February 7-8-9.
Y'all are invited to the next SUN benefit at the Primo Showbar on Tuesday, February 19th, with the bands to be announced.
Don't miss the Prisoners Labor Union benefit to be held Feb. 10, also at the Primo Showbar, with the Mojo Boogie Band and Muskadine Blues Band. With the January february advertising slump, we sure need the economic and spiritual support. Flash! Johnny Winter's new album will be released shortly. called Saints and Sinners. And Wayne Kramer of the legendary MC5 has a new group together known as Kramer's Kreamers.
Lettuce Boycott News; The United Farm Workers has picked Wrigleys as the next target. Wrigleys will not sell Farm Workers lettuce and grapes, and is instead offering Teamster produce. The Teamsters have been working with growers to shut out the U.F.W. which strongly advocates farm workers' rights. The boycotts have been a somewhat successful so far, in that both Farmer Jacks and Great Scott have agreed not to sell "scab" lettuce or grapes. Picketing of Wrigleys takes place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. People interested can get rides to local Wrigleys by meeting at the side door of the Union at 3:15 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and at 11 a.m., 1 or 3 p.m. SAturday. For more information contact the UFW support group at 763-0285.
Did you know that the Ann Arbor city budget acquires 12% of its operating revenue by making it impossible to park easily and then collecting ticket fines?...
Has anyone else noticed that local streets are so full of un-repaired potholes that wheel alignment is a continual hassle?... If your auto needs work, check out the Co-op Auto Rally, 2232 S. Industrial Hwy, 769-0220. The Co-op is offering a workshop called Learn About Your Car. This is a very basic, introductory course for the novice about how a car works and how to keep it doing just that. An experienced, professional mechanic will instruct the course, offered Tuesday evenings at 7 pm, February 12, 19 and 26. Cost-$.75 per cession. Watch for an article in the SUN about the Co-op along with helpful hints for auto care... And if you're sick of cars anyway, check out the Dial-A-Ride bus service, which will deliver you from your door to any location in the city for $.25 if you call 665-7701 . This direct service has now expanded to operate weeknights, weekends and holidays. This one's called Dial-A-Nite, and can be reached through 665-4111 . Dial-A-Nite requests you give them a half hour notice to pick you up. Charge: $.25, cheap.
The Republican majority on council experienced its usual share of accusations these past two weeks. First the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority accused them of illegally snatching $200,000 in funds earmarked by the voters for improved transportation. Then lurking voices were heard charging that the elephants were trying to sneakily widen State St. to four lanes, even though the voters turned that down last April as well. What about Democracy? Then members of the Rent Control Commission which the city had set up to study the rent situation, charged that our beloved Mayor James had released their incomplete report over the commission's own objection. The report was quoted as calling rent-control "unwarranted". Seems the Mayor is so desperate for anti-rent control publicity that he's willing to ride roughshod over his own commission to get it.
And speaking of reactionaries, the Ann Arbor Committee to Impeach Nixon can
be raeched at 665-6200. They're planning a variety of activities, including several possible national actions, as well as massive letter writing campaigns to Congress for which they've already printed up pre-addressed postcards. One slogan of the campaign to impeach--"Lick Dick, Impeach the Cox Sacker."
Will someone please ask the New Morning bookstore on Washington St. , run by. among others, George DePue, why they still refuse to carry the SUN for "political reasons" when they still carry the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press and other socialist publications?
In closing, SUNSPOTS would like to report briefly on the state of the SUN. Thanks to the people who lent us money for three more coinboxes, bringing our street total to six. The boxes are doing well and reaching new readers every day. No thanks to the shady character who ripped off the Ann Arbor SUN sign from our front door. ..People who like what they're reading in here can help support the paper by SUBSCRIBING. For $6.50 a year the SUN is home-delivered to your door on publication day, and for $5 a year you get it through the mail. Both ways you also get a free album. See the back cover for details. We are currently at work securing a mailing permit which would enable our mail subscribers to receive the SUN the day after publication, instead of the 4-5 days it now takes. And please people, send us your letters, criticisms, love-notes and advice. Also, we're trying to improve the calendar and make it broader and more useful. Tip us off if you know of something happening. We don't pay cash prizes...The next SUN will be on the streets Friday, February 22nd...That's all folks.