Tucson Daily Citizen from Tucson, Arizona • Page 29

Schettie Features Plants doing well Tommy on the move He kept going into his bedroom and closing the door, and after a while would come out, go into the bathroom and look at himself in the mirror. Then he would return to the bedroom. Several times this happened, the mother told her friend. Finally, a dejected-looking Tommy came into the living room, plopped down upon the sofa and sighed. "It didn't work," he said.

Mother asked, what hadn't worked? "That light," he said. "The one that's for growing." Tommy, it seems, had unscrewed the 40-watt bulb from the fixture in his bedroom and substituted it for the bulb in the box on the closet shelf. All evening he had been basking in the growing light's rays. "But it didn't work," he told his mother. "I didn't get any bigger not even an inch Bikers trying to stop By DAVID DYKES Cfllam Staff Wriler After their second meeting in two days with representatives of rival motorcycle clubs here, law officers say the clubs' leaders agreed to try to end violence that already has killed one person.

After a meeting at the Pima County sheriff's office last night, sheriff's Maj. John U. Lyon said, the motorcycle club representatives "agreed to exercise control of their brothers so that these incidents stop." Lyon was referring to a rash of reported shootings and fights since two members of the Seekers were wounded by shots fired by unknown assailants Feb. 26 on an Interstate 10 exit ramp north of Tucson. The feuding resulted in its first fatality Monday when Bruce Ritter, 33, of Phoenix was killed by a sniper's bullet when he was at a Southeast Side residence occupied by members of the Dirty Dozen.

Ritter was not a member of the Dozen but was visiting his brother-in-law, who belongs to the group, according to sheriff's deputies. No arrests have been made. Last night, two members each of the local Devil's Disciples, Sons of Oden, Soul Sinners, Seekers, Dirty Dozen and two representatives of the Dozen Phoenix chapter met with authorities. That meeting followed Monday's session between members of the Dozen and the Seekers, which sought to calm tension between the groups and led to yesterday's expanded discussions. Ritter was killed while Monday's meeting was in progress, but officials said it didn't hamper yesterday's talks.

The main problem between the clubs, Lyon said, has been "a lack of communication" and "different philosophies," dealing with territorial control of riding and drinking areas. He estimated there are 250 motorcyclists affiliated with Various bike groups in Tucson. Prior to the last two days, "communications (between the clubs) completely broke down," said Lyon. "They're still a little bit hesitant to trust each other but they want to end the war. "We've done everything we can.

Now we just have to wait and see. At this point, they're doing things themselves. If that doesn't work, they said they would come and ask for our support. That's a hell of a step." Lyon said the shooting of Ritter wasn't "directly referred to" last night because the purpose of the meeting was not to investigate the slaying. Club leaders did not want to talk with the news media after the meeting, Lyon said.

The leaders arrived and left the sheriff's department without incident. During the discussions, deputies stood guard ortside the sheriff's building at 1801 S. Mission Road. WEDNESDAY, MARCH .11, 1976 PACK 2J Light on the subject It wasn't long before talk turned to matters of things green and growing, both women being "into" house plants. They discussed watering procedures and plant foods and sunlight and vitamins and potting soil and whether to hang or not hang, and a puny philodendron with browning leaves and proper drainage, and are clay pots better than plastic ones? And what do you say to your asparagus fern to make it bushier? And well, that kind of stuff.

Little Tommy, who is 5-going-on-6, found the talk to be pretty dull stuff. Dull, that is, until his mother and her visitor began chatting about those newfangled light bulbs that are said to make plants grow better or faster or whatever. "1 started using a growing light a few months ago," the mother said, "and just look at how beautifully my plants are doing. Why, I wouldn't be without one." Tommy's ear, by this time, was missing not a word of the conversation. The caller agreed that indeed, her hostess' plants were thriving.

"You say those lights make the plants grow?" she asked, to which Tommy's mother answered in the affirmative. "Well, that settles it I'll just have to get one." It happened that Tommy's mother had an extra one which she offered to sell to her friend. The friend jumped at the offer and wrote out a check for $6.50. "It's on the shelf in the hall closet," the hostess said. "Remind me to give it to you when you leave." And then the two women ventured out into the patio to take a bit of sun at poolside.

It was a couple of hours later that the visitor left, the growing light in its carton, tucked beneath an arm. When she arrived at her own home, her husband was in the kitchen. There was excitement in her voice as she told him about the "grow bulb" she had bought and the simply marvelous things it certainly would do to her plants. The husband, too, was pleased. "Let's have a look at it," he said.

Bulb was there Carefully she opened the carton. There was a light bulb inside, all right, but what it looked like was a plain old, everyday 40-watt bulb. What it was, in fact, was a plain old, everyday 49-watt bulb. "For this," snapped the husband, "you paid six-fifty?" The wife nodded. The husband fumed.

Six-fifty fora 40-watt bulb! But his wife is a gentle sort. "There must be a mistake she reasoned. And so for the time being, they left it at that though the husband was decidedly gruff that evening. The call came early the next morning from the giggling -if somewhat embarrassed friend. "About that growing light I sold you yesterday," she began.

"It wasn't one." And she went on to explain. Tommy was at the bottom of it. The evening before, the mother explained, Tommy just hadn't been himself. He didn't even watch television. Duval pit to spend $30 million By RICHARD E.

I Cltlun Mining Wriler Duval Corp. is sinking $30.6 million more into its Sierrita Mine, expecting to save money at the open pit south of Tucson. If the company succeeds, it will bury an old mining adage: The deeper you mine, the more expensive it gels. The $30.6 million project will add a conveyor belt and Project going up in Sierrita pit rtJffinrt rwi Citizen Photo by P. K.

Weis At the bottom of Sierrita Mine, about 25 miles south of Tucson, a new rock-crushing system is being built by Duval Corp. as part of a $30.6 million project. This is expected to save money eventually and help in combining Sierrita, now about miles long and a mile wide at the top, with the neighboring Esperanza Mine into one huge pit by 1978. UA surgeons seek to force regents hearing By EDWARD SYLVESTER Cllizen Staff Wriler Three University of Arizona surgeons sought an injunction in Phoenix today to force the Arizona Board of Regents to hear faculty dismissal grievances, eliminating the campus Committee on Academic Privilege and Tenure. The action in Maricopa County Superior Court came in the case of Clark vs.

Singer. In that case, Drs. Marlys Witte, D. Scott Clark and Philip Gildenberg charge that actions were taken against them by the university and College of Medicine because they support Dr. Erie E.

Peacock Jr. The court proceedings are being held in Maricopa County because the board of regents is headquartered in Phoenix. If the injunction is granted, its force will be felt in Peacock's own case against the UA, which is due to go before the privilege and tenure committee within a month. But the injunction would have much wider consequences, changing the methods for dismissal and for granting or withholding of tenure at all three state universities. Regents now delegate that authority to university administrators, virtually rubber- stamping their recommendations.

Attorney Jeremy Butler, Phoenix, charges that under the state Administrative Procedure Act, the regents cannot delegate matters of faculty retention and tenure, but must either hear the cases themselves or appoint impartial hearing officers, who would report directly to them. Key evidence for Butler is a previously undisclosed letter to UA President John P. Schaefer from the chairman of the tenure panel which heard the three surgeons' complaints last April and which ruled in their favor. The letter from George W. Ridge, head of journalism at UA, strongly criticized the administration for withholding West Germany lends to Egypt BONN (UPI) West Germany has granted Egypt aid of $90 million in what it called a sign of solidarity with the Middle East policies of visiting President Anwar Sadat.

Sadat, seeking arms and economic aid, conferred with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt on his two-week trip to Europe. evidence in the case and for making its lawyer the privilege and tenure committee adviser. The letter has been in evidence since December but was to be made public today by Butler. Ridge, who also has a law degree, said in the letter a the a i i a i "wants to make the committee an investigatory arm of the administration, much the same as the campus police." Ridge said Schaefer saw "our job as a committee to -secretly if necessary attempt to rebut the petitioners, while the administration provided us with leads, advice and legal counsel. I cannot participate in this type of hearing; nor do I think it protective of faculty rights at the advanced stage of a grievance where even the Committee on Conciliation has failed to resolve the dispute." Ridge, who was subpoenaed to testify at the injunction hearing today, would not comment on the letter.

In a second thrust at the committee the regents reportedly received from Peacock's lawyer a formal demand that they halt dismissal proceedings against him. They also were asked to tell him his rights under 'he administrative procedure act and to list all charges against him. The campus conciliation committee similarly called on the administration this week to provide Peacock a complete statement of charges, saying that without them he could not decide a course of action in his fight to retain his tenured professorship. The university moved to fire Peacock two months ago for interfering in the selection of his replacement as chairman of surgery in the medical college. Drs.

Clark, Gildenberg and Witte, who did not have tenure, were told a year ago they would not be retained. They charged it was because they backed Peacock. The Ridge panel recommended that they be retained for another year, giving Dr. Witte tenure. Gilenberg subsequently left and Clark now has been told he will not be retained next year.

Although the committee ruled in their favor, the three sued last summer because of what they believe to be irregularities in the administration actions against them. Twice amended, the suit has grown to a $4 million civil rights action due for trial May II in the court of Judge Robert Myers, who heard today's injunction request. Blast burns cover body of student TEMPE (AP) William P. Engle, 29, an Arizona State University graduate student in chemistry, remained in "very critical" condition with burns over 95 per cent of his body today following an explosion in the school's chemistry laboratory. The blast occurred while Engle was conducting an experiment to determine how much sulfur could be extracted from a rock through oxidation.

Although acid was involved, a chemistry department official said the experiment could not have caused the explosion. University officials estimated damage to the lab at $40,000 to $50,000. Several hundred students were evacuated as firemen quickly extinguished flames. Engle was working with two other students, Tim Urell and Steven L. Fedder, when the blast occurred, said Larry Ross, Tempe city information officer.

rock-crushing system at the copper pit's bottom, eliminating the cost of hauling ore out of the pit, now nearly 1,000 feet below the surface, At the top, the pit is about 2 miles long and a mile wide. Duval would not disclose how much money it estimates the project eventually will save. "The savings will be substantial, or we wouldn't be doing it," said a spokesman at the company's headquarters here. Now under way, (he additions to the $200 million mine are expected to ease the achievement, by 1978, of a plan to combine Sierrita and its neighbor, Duval's Esperan- Employes of city discuss seniority There were almost as many opinions as there were city employes who spoke during a Tucson Civil Service Commission hearing yesterday on alternatives to the city's existing "last hired, first fired" seniority system. Few of the 13 city employes who spoke offered additional criteria that the commission could consider if city voters approve Proposition 101 at the city's special election Tuesday.

That proposition, if passed, would allow the commission to consider factors other than seniority if city employes are laid off. The hearing held yesterday to give city employes and others a chance to offer their opinions to the commission. A few speakers suggested the system be changed to avoid layoffs of minorities and women who have recently been hired under affirmative action programs. Others, favored the existing seniority system, saying it's (he most objective one, and were concerned that including "subjective" factors such as merit would be unfair. Several suggested that the commission look at alternatives to layoffs rather than alternative ways of laying Oil firm blamed by Venezuela CARACAS (AP) Occidental Petroleum Corp.

engaged in "irregular and fraudulent" activities in Venezuela from 1967 to 1971, a committee investigating the alleged payoff of Venezuelan officials said in a preliminary report. employes off, such as offering employes shorter work weeks at less pay. Many of those alternatives to layoffs, however, are not the commission's responsibility. They would be administrative or policy decisions determined by the city manager or City Council, Commission Chairman Schuyler Lininger told the audience of about 50 persons. Several speakers objected to the proposition because it was too vague.

More opposition to Proposition 101 came yesterday from the Southern Arizona chapter of Ihe A. Philip Randolph Institute, a political brunch of the AFL-CIO. Chapter President Samuel E. Newsome claimed proposition would wipe out job protection for worthy em- ployes, and make it possible for them to be fired irresponsibly. za Mine, into one gargantuan open pit miles long and nearly miles wide.

Future depth of (he Sierrita- Esperanza complex is planned at almost a half-mile deep enough to place two Empire State Buildings, one atop the other. Sierrita-Esperanza will be nearly twice as wide as the Lavender Pit at Bisbee, more than a mile longer, and about twice as deep as that now inoperative Phelps Dodge Corp. mine. The combined Duval mines will be the largest open pit in Arizona, surpassing the size of PD's pit at Morenci, now the state's biggest. Remaining the largest in the United States will be the Bingham Canyon, Utah, open pit mine of Kennecott Copper Corp.

Kennecott says Bing- hum is more than 2 miles long, miles wide, just short of a half-mile deep "and it gets deeper every year." Morenci's surface dimensions are 2 by I 1 miles, and depth about of a mile. The new crusher rising from the bottom of Sierrita's pit is bolstered by a foundation the size of a 10-story apartment building. The underground mass consists of 26,000 tons of concrete laced with 1,250 tons of steel rods. Duval's forecast that it will save money in the long run, after spending the $30.6 million, is based on reducing the expense of the mine's truck fleet while using the new conveyor and crusher. If the two additions weren't installed, the truck fleet would have to be increased from 60 to 71 trucks, accompanied by higher fuel and maintenance costs, according to Frank Schweitzer, Sierrita's chief engineer.

The new trucks cost about $500,000 each, with new tires going for $9,000 apiece. The new system will eliminate the long, uphill, gasoline- gulping hauls now made by the trucks that carry blasted rock from the pit to the existing main crusher system near the pit's perimeter. When the new crusher is operating at the bottom of the pit, trucks will be traveling to it downhill or on level ground, which is expected to save gasoline and money. From this crusher, the new conveyor belt will transport rock fragments 2 miles to the mill area. The current conveyor is 2 miles long.

No opposition cited TGE ballot item called vital By JOHN BRET HARTE Citizen Business Wriler Tucson Gas Electric Co. will continue to operate even if the new company franchise is defeated next Tuesday, but it's a prospect neither city nor TGE officials like to think about. Asst. City Atty. Hugh A.

Holub says defeat of the measure would drive the city back to the bargaining table with no assurance it could get as many concessions from TGE as the company agreed to in the negotiations that produced the proposed franchise. Or the city might be forced into court to continue the control it now exercises over the utility under the present franchise, scheduled to expire April 15, Holub says. He believes the resulting legal battle could be long as well as expensive to taxpayers. And, finally, there would have to be another election if a new franchise were worked See editorial, next page. those of city-run utilities, allow renegotiation of key parts of the agreement at five-year intervals and expand the city's power to audit TGE's books.

out, and this would mean another $150,000 in expense to the city, according to Holub. TGE does not need a franchise to operate, Holub explains. Operating as a regulated monopoly under state law, it requires only a certificate of convenience and necessity from the Arizona Corporation Commission to continue in business. But a franchise agreement allows the city to exert some control over TGE, and the new franchise would bring in about $2 million a year from the utility as rent for its use of city rights-of-way, Holub says. He adds that if this money did not come from TGE, the city would have to raise it by additional taxes.

Holub believes the new franchise a long- term lease agreement for TGE's use of city property for its facilities is a better agreement than the present one. It would require TGE to coordinate its expansion plans with Utility vote in city only The new Tucson Gas Electric Co. franchise to be voted on in next week's election covers only TGE's operations within the city, and therefore only city residents will be able to vote on it. County Board of Supervisors Chairman Joseph Castillo explains that TGE currently has two 25-year franchises for the use of public county rights-of-way. One covers the utility's electric facilities and the other its facilities for distributing natural gas.

Both were granted in 1961. Castillo says neither franchise requires TGE to pay any fee to the county. The board of supervisors that granted them realized that any franchise charge to the utility would be passed on to customers and felt it was not in the public interest to raise rates, ho said. However, the franchises require TGE to pay all costs of installing, maintaining and relocating its facilities, as well as any expenses of altering or modifying the public as a result of their use by the company, Castillo says. TGE also bears these expenses in the city.

Although concessions the utility made have created "some dissension" among company officials, TGE Vice President Joseph B. Wilcox the agreement. Like Holub, he foresees troubles if voters defeat it: --Without coordination with the city on utility expansion, TGE might be forced to duplicate costly service hookups because its eiectric lines might interfere with city easements or sewer connections. I defeat of the franchise brought a city tax on TGE to recover the $2 million franchise fee, the utility probably would have to raise rates to cover it. Such a raise would not be necessary if the franchise passes since the sum already is budgeted in the rate structure.

--Defeat of the franchise probably would cause New York financial agencies to lower TGE's bond ratings. The utility then would have to pay higher interest rates on the money it borrows, and rates would go up. Apparently there is no organized opposition to the new TGE franchise. Mario R. Gonzalcs, citizen participation administrator for the city, says the majority of the citizen participation task force assigned to study the franchise said they would campaign for it.

Opposition in the task force is to TGE's escalating rates, not to the franchise, Gonzales said. Lucinda LaMaster, a spokesman for Tucson Public Power, a consumer group that has campaigned against recent requested rate hikes, says group supports the franchise "in a mild way." Miss LaMaster said the agreement provides "some mechanisms for a little bit of city control of TGE." If it docs not pass, the city would have to make up franchise fee through "even more regressive taxes than (under) the present system," she said..