Ypsilanti 3/29/12

VOL. 18, NO. 13 THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012

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FOOTBALLHigh school players participate in football combine

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SPELLING BEEEvent raises $10,000 for 826Michigan

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Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-BEditorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-ADeath Notices . . . . . . . . 14-ALegals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-B

■ Ypsilanti community presentation/forum: The city of Ypsilanti is hosting a community presentation/forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the proposed city income tax and Water Street debt millage at the Eastern Michigan University Autism Collaborative Center (formerly Fletcher

School), 1055 Cornell.

■ Bowling team fundraiser: The Ypsilanti High School Bowling Team is host-ing a fundraiser from 7-9 p.m. Friday at Colonial Lanes, 1950 Industrial Hwy. in Ann Arbor. The cost is $16 at the door, which includes pizza, unlimited soft drinks, two hours of bowling and bowling shoes. There will be a 50/50 raffl e and silent auction. Do-

nations of auction items are being accept-ed.

■ Submitting Info: We gladly accept story ideas, photos, and press releases for the upcoming events. If you would like to submit something, contact Tanya Wildt at 734-429-7380, ext. 18, or [email protected].

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Police seeking suspect for attempted murder near EMUBy Ben BairdHeritage Media

A 24-year-old man, Quenton Martez Dodson, has been identified by Ypsilanti police as a suspect of attempted murder for shooting three people Friday evening

near the Eastern Michigan University campus.

The victims, three men between 18 and 20 years old, suffered gunshot injuries and taken to the hospital. They are all now in stable condition.

Police responded to the shooting at about 7:15 p.m.

Friday to the 300 block of Jarvis Street east of Lowell Street. Officers located one of the victims, who had been shot in the stomach, and he told police two of his friends were also shot. The two other victims were located, each had suffered a single gun wound, and

they were all rushed to the hospital.

A witness to the shoot-ing, who had been involved in the incident, but had not been injured, stayed to provide police with infor-mation. Police were told the shooting started after a narcotic transaction went

awry. The suspect pulled out a handgun and started shooting, according to police.

The suspect fled before police arrived.

The three male victims include an 18-year-old shot

Ypsi, Willow Run consider mergeBy Rachelle MarshallSpecial Writer

Willow Run and Ypsilanti Public Schools officials have agreed to consider complete consolidation of services, superinten-dents from both districts announced in a special meeting March 20, at the YPS Administration Building.

“I think what you’re looking at is a true re-cre-

ation of what good-quality education will mean in the eastern end of the county, and we feel that we can do that better together, ver-sus working against each other,” YPS Superintendent Dedrick Martin said.

Sitting side-by-side, Martin and Willow Run Superintendent Laura Lisiscki acknowledged that their positions could merge

By Rachelle MarshallSpecial Writer

Although the physical aspects of the Ypsilanti Housing Commission’s property have improved, city council members said at the March 20 meeting they

are not confident in the agency’s management.

City council approves the mayor’s appointments to the YHC and has the supervisory capacity to remove appointees.

“The housing commission has to realize that we want account-

ability,” Council member Michael Bodary said.

“If it gets to the point where we can’t trust their decision making…then there needs to be changes made, and the only changes we can make are in the make-up of the commission.”

Threatening to use that power could pressure commissioners to re-evaluate the performance of Executive Director Walter Norris.

YHC Vice President Deborah Strong said commissioners

The field of journalism is changing rapidly as the number of digital tools to create and deliver the news grows. At Heritage Media-West, we are excited about this evolution in journalism and want to partner with the commu-nity to produce and deliver more local content on

a variety of platforms. To that end, we have created a Community Media Lab.

Heritage Media-West, which includes the website Heritage.com and weekly print pub-lications in Washtenaw and Wayne counties, has

selected Ypsilanti, home of Eastern Michigan University, for its Community Media Lab, which will officially open May 1 at SPARK-East, 215 W. Michigan Ave.

Our parent company, Journal Register Co., man-aged by Digital First Media, has experienced success with community media laboratories, particularly in Torrington, Conn., at its Register Citizens News Café.

Heritage to open Community Media Lab April 2INSIDE THE NEWSROOM

MICHELLE ROGERS PLEASE SEE MEDIA/7-A

SPARK-East, 215 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti, a busi-ness incubator, will house the Community Media Lab.

Photo courtesy of Ypsilanti Public Schools

Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel, left, Willow Run Community Schools Superintendent Laura Lisiscki and Ypsilanti Public Schools Superintendent Dedrick Martin announced Ypsilanti and Willow Run are considering consolidating the two districts into one.

City council wants answers from YHC

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By Amy BellHeritage Media

March 27 is the American Diabetes Association Alert Day, a one-day “wake-up call” asking the public to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at

risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

For every Diabetes Risk Test taken, Boar’s Head, a delicatessen product manu-facturer, will donate $5 to the ADA, beginning March 27 through April 27, up to $50,000.

Karen Koeppe, certi-fied diabetes educator and nutritionist at Packard Health Center in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, works with patients throughout the area who are either at risk of developing diabetes or have been diagnosed with the condition.

“If you get diagnosed with pre-diabetes, it’s not a death sentence,” she said. “It’s really a window of opportunity to turn this thing around.”

Patients are sent to her on a referral basis after receiving lab results show-ing they are “at risk” or have risk factors such as a strong family history of dia-betes or have an interest in wanting to lose weight and get healthier.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 79 million people over the age of 20 have pre-diabetes.

Pre-diabetes is defined by the CDC as having blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Those with pre-diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

“It definitely is an epidemic,” she said. “Obviously, this is a pretty scary number. Type 2 diabe-tes is right around the cor-ner, which doubles your risk for cardiovascular disease. It’s a huge problem, but it’s also a huge opportunity.”

Previously known as juvenile diabetes, individu-als with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, a hormone needed to con-vert sugars, starches and other foods into energy. Treatments involve insulin

therapy.Type 2 diabetes, the more

common form, is a condi-tion where the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells ignore it. When glu-cose builds up in the blood, diabetic complications like glaucoma, neuropathy and skin infections can occur.

Diabetes is diagnosed through a number of meth-ods, including a fasting plasma blood glucose test, oral glucose tolerance test or a hemoglobin A1C test.

Individuals who should be tested are those who are overweight and older than age 45. If younger than 45 years old and overweight, a doctor may recommend test-ing if other risk factors are involved such as high blood pressure and family history.

At Packard Health, Koeppe models her rec-ommendations after the Diabetes Prevention Program, a major, multi-clinical research study that took place in 2002.

Resulting research showed that modest weight loss through calorie restric-tion and increased activity could reduce the risk of dia-betes in high-risk patients by 58 percent.

The DPP resulted in a number of recommenda-tions, including 150 minutes of physical activity per week, the equivalent of 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, reduced calorie intake, a healthy diet with large amounts of fiber, fruits and vegetables.

At Packard Health, if someone is diagnosed with pre-diabetes, has a family history or risk factors, they are referred to Koeppe who helps them to improve their diet with a goal of 5 to 7 per-cent weight loss. They also encourage physical activity.

Packard offers a program called the Packard Pacers, which meets every Saturday morning for group walks. Members are also encour-aged to exercise throughout the week and are given pedometers used to record

their walks and other incen-tives to encourage physical activity.

Beginning June 2, the center also will offer a program where patients can receive free fitness instruction and nutritional coaching.

With support from Thompson Reuters, the cen-ter will offer the Packard Health-y Living Program, an initiative aimed at pre-venting diabetes. It will be available to center patients and their families.

Demond Johnson, owner of the Ann Arbor Fitness Professionals, has agreed to team up with the center and offer free, formal exercise training in a group-based format at the facility in addition to weightloss chal-lenges, she said.

The program, which targets low-income families and early seniors, will also offer free, one-on-one nutri-tional coaching, a grocery store tour, healthy eating classes and a trip to the farmers market in down-town Ypsilanti.

“I’m very excited about this, we really want to make this family friendly, as well as for early seniors,” she said.

Koeppe said the center is working to help its patients “connect the dots” and assist them with finding ways to eat health-ier and exercise.

Koeppe said the center is seeing a large number of kids and teens that are overweight and entire families where weight is an issue. They work on family intervention and trying to reshape behaviors in patients when they are young, which gives them the best chance to avoid issues down the road.

“There’s a lot of poten-tial to avoid this,” she said. “It can help entire family units to improve their eating and exercise habits. That’s pretty powerful, it has a ripple effect.”

PAGE 2-A ★ THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012www.heritage.com

Residents urged to take Diabetes Risk Test

Karen Koeppe, nutritionist at the Packard Health Center, shows what a healthy plate should look like during last year’s health fair at the center.

Diabetes Alert Day set for March 27

Providing reliefTim Marshall, president of Bank of Ann Arbor, hands Donna Duvin, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Washtenaw and Lenawee County chapter, a check for $5,000 to help with disaster relief efforts. The check was presented during the Red Cross VIP Mission Tour held March 19.

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3A

completed an evaluation of Norris, earlier this month - as part of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s requirements regarding the YHC’s “troubled” status - although commissioners did not release details of the assessment.

“My suspicion is they’re abusing the Open Meetings Act by the number of execu-tive sessions they’re having, and not having any resolu-tions come out of those executive session meet-ings,” said council member Peter Murdock.

At the city meeting, council separated a consent agenda which contained a resolution to appoint Hershey Ballard as YHC Resident Commissioner.

“I am not of the mind to appoint anybody to the housing commission at this point, unless it’s replacing somebody on it,” Murdock said.

Council voted 5-1 to table the appointment, with Mayor Paul Schreiber vot-ing no.

Public inquiries into the employment and criminal backgrounds of YHC staff, including Administrative Specialist Eric Temple, prompted Council member Ricky Jefferson to request several specific documents from housing commission-ers, with the support of city council.

At the meeting, council requested that the housing commissioners provide the following documents by April 1: Eric Temple’s employment application, his 2009 timesheets from March 1 – July 31, the check registry for fiscal year ending 2009, the housing commission’s personnel manual and minutes from the meeting when the YHC adopted the city employee handbook.

The resolution also asked commissioners to report any findings of their inves-tigation into the employee situation and management practices.

“That gives them eight days to provide this infor-mation,” Robb said.

“OMA says that you have to publish minutes in eight days. I do not believe eight days is an unfair timeline to ask for information.”

City council voted to remove the felon box from employment applications in 2003-2004, around the time Temple was hired, Jefferson said.

“It’s not about Eric Temple. It is about over-sight of the Ypsilanti Housing Commission,” Robb said.

Jefferson said he was most concerned with the timing of the situation, because Temple attended a court case in Texas in 2004 and left Michigan under arrest, five years later.

“In Michigan and Texas he was arrested and jailed in 2009, for failure to fulfill his requirements for parole, so I just want to know how that was handled by management, administra-tion and staff…and was there any compensation?” Jefferson said.

Schreiber said commis-sioners are performing an internal investigation into the handling of Temple’s employment during that time.

“I just don’t feel comfort-able with an agency that is documented as troubled and substandard, investigating itself,” Jefferson said.

City council members approved Jefferson’s request for the documents,

by a vote 5-1. Mayor Paul Schreiber

said he voted no because he recommends that council send a liaison to the com-mission meetings.

“That’s a lot of work. I’m not into babysitting,” Jefferson said.

Council member Brian Robb also disagreed with assigning a liaison. “When we ask for information, they should be cooperative,” he said, adding that the city would not have to send a liaison to the Downtown Development Authority, to obtain similar information.

Schreiber was a member of the YHC board when Executive Director Walter Norris was hired. Norris previously worked on hous-ing commissions in Texas and Michigan.

“I knew that there were some issues in Galveston. We had done some refer-ence checks on Mr. Norris. Also, it is probably no secret he had some issues in Pontiac too, which were more recent,” Schreiber said.

“We interviewed a num-ber of candidates, and he seemed to be the best candi-date, and at the time in 2003, the YHC was in troubled status - in the process of responding to a report by the Office of Inspector General - and he guided us out of that.”

City council first learned of the YHC’s “troubled sta-tus” after the Department of Housing and Urban Development sent a letter

to the mayor that revealed poor record keeping, co-mingling of funds and other signs of mismanagement.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has asked the city to enter an agreement with the housing commis-sion, to implement and supervise a sustainability and recovery plan.

Council is receiving Sustainability Report updates, but March was the target date for completion of the recovery plan’s objec-tives.

YHC first submitted the plan for approval in October, but council tabled action on the plan, indefi-nitely.

If the YHC does not fulfill the Housing and Urban Development criteria, it could result in a decrease in federal funding for local housing.

Rachelle is a freelance writer for the Ypsilanti Courier. She can be reached at [email protected].

CITYFROM PAGE 1-A

Spelling bee raises $10,000 for 826MichiganBy Krista GjestlandHeritage Media

Fifteen teams com-peted for spelling glory during the second annual Spelling Bee for Honest Cheaters, Rotten Spellers and Mustachioed Heroes, raising more than $10,000 to benefit 826Michigan at Woodruff ’s Bar in Ypsilanti March 21.

826Michigan is a non-profit tutoring and writ-ing center located in Ann Arbor that services stu-dents aged 6 to 18.

Executive Director Amanda Uhle said 826Michigan services Ypsilanti students in addi-tion to Ann Arbor students.

“We are a writing and tutoring center for young people,” she said. Last year we served 2,331 school-age students and many of them

are Ypsilanti public school students.”

826 also provides stu-dents with help on their homework, Uhle said.

“We offer homework help, so an after-school tutoring program happens both at our site and then at Ypsilanti High School,” she said.

Uhle said the spelling bee was a fun was to raise money for the organization.

“The really great thing about an event like this is it’s really fun, if I do say so myself,” she said. “What’s exciting is when you see all these different people sort of coming together and put-ting a small contribution toward a bigger end sud-denly we raised $10,000.”

Teams of two or more raise money from their friends, family and commu-nity members to compete

in the spelling bee. During the competition, spellers can use that fundraised money to buy cheats such as ask the audience, asking

Woodruff ’s owner Andy Garris and looking the word up.

The words players are expected to spell, how-

ever, are not easy. They are obscure words such as pancsychism, nemoricho-line and decadescent.

Uhle said the partici-pants get pretty competi-tive, but it’s in a very chari-table way.

“This year, the momen-tum really picked up, espe-cially toward the end,” she said. “There was a great amount of competition between the teams at the end. But all of the competi-tion is done in this incred-ibly sweet, altruistic way that is really about helping our students.”

Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber got in on the action as a celebrity guest speller. Schreiber says he got involved because of what 826Michigan does for local students.

“I really appreciate what 826Michigan does,” he said.

Uhle said the $10,591 raised will help 826Michigan fund a lot of its Ypsilanti programs.

“That is going to go a very long way for us in run-ning our Ypsilanti Middle School tutoring program next year and lots of pro-grams that, not by coinci-dence, happen right around the corner from this bar,” she said.

For more on 826Michigan, visit www.826michigan.org.

Krista Gjestland can be reached at [email protected], 734-429-7380 or on Twitter @kgjestland.

Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.

Photo by Krista Gjestland

Ray McDonald, left, emcees the second annual Spelling Bee for Honest Cheaters, Rotten Spellers and Mustachioed Heroes as Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber serves as a celebrity speller.

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SECOND FRONTThursday, March 29, 2012-A www.heritage.com

Lodi residents face chicken eviction

By Tanya WildtHeritage Media

Lodi Township resident Douglas Madaras recently placed a craig-slist advertisement to sell his chickens after they were evicted from his farm.

“We were told by Lodi Township we would have to remove our livestock due to a 1960’s ordinance prohibiting all animals, other than domestic pets, to be raised on less than 5 acres, even if zoned AG (agriculture),” Madaras wrote in a Google discussion group. “We were also told by Lodi that they are actively enforcing the ordi-nance throughout the township.”

Madaras and his wife, Angela, own 2.48 acres of agriculture-zoned land in Lodi Township, where they raise about 40 rare and endangered heritage breeds. They have raised chickens in a coop for about three years.

Lodi Township is currently

working on a new ordinance that would replace an old one that bans chickens on lots with fewer than 5 acres, but until it is in place, Madaras will have to abide by the current ordinance.

“The township has grown substantially over the years,’ said Jack Steeb, chairman of the plan-ning commission. “We’re compil-ing a totally new one, updating things and bringing it in line with current legislation.”

The new ordinance may allow for exemptions to the current 5-acre policy, with very special restrictions, and promote the lat-est master plan.

Nearby, Chelsea is also working on a new chicken ordinance after Roen Montalva and her husband, Tim Farmer, had to remove chick-ens from their property after vio-lating a local ordinance this year.

The Lodi Township ordinance will also address structures on properties. Currently, the town-ship allows one structure each, but will expand what qualifies as a structure, to items including a swimming pool. The change will require the township to allow more structures on each property.

“It will be quite a change once

we get it all done,” Steeb said.“We’re working hard to make

an ordinance that will work for all residents, both rural and urban.”

Until the ordinance is in place, the Madaras will either have to get rid of their birds or move them to a location outside of the township.

“The rules are the rules,” Steeb said. “If we enforce it in one area, we have to enforce it in another. We have to treat all citizens the same.”

Madaras relies on the Barred Rock and Araucana breeds for food and income by breeding and selling them.

Because of interest in his situ-ation, Madaras created a Google group, where he has posted the latest updates on the eviction. He declined to be interviewed, but directed those inquiring to the group.

Madaras takes responsibility for violating the ordinance on the group page, but said he and his wife were surprised about its existence.

“We moved here believing we would be able to raise and grow our own food considering our property was zoned AG and already had a chicken coop on the

premises,” Madaras wrote. “The idea of living in a agricultural community influenced our deci-sion, as well. At this time, we do not see how we will be able to con-tinue living here now that our land can not support us as we intended. Our income and ability to feed ourselves have been significantly reduced.”

The Google group has garnered several responses and words of support for the Madaras. He wrote that he has learned from posts that the township ordinance is vague.

Madaras said he doesn’t want to protest the ordinance, but wants to show frustrations and support of community members, while hop-ing for clarity on the ordinance.

“… enforcement actions are to be taken by any township then a better defined ordinance needs to be in place; one taking into consid-eration today’s economy and need for food security,” Madaras said. “More and more people are having to live self sustainable lifestyles out of necessity.”

Emily Springfield, a neighbor, supports Madars keeping the birds. “It’s tough because, yes, that law was on the books and they should have known that

before they moved in, but if you go down the street, it’s all farms,” Springfield said.

Springfield said Lodi Township, Scio Township and Freedom Township all meet near the Madaras’ farm and all three townships have different animal ordinances. She said Scio doesn’t allow chickens under 2.5 acres, but nearby Lima Township allows 100 chicken per acre.

Springfield said most of the neighbors are not bothered by the Madarases’ chickens.

“They’ve talked to all their other neighbors around them and they support the chickens,” Springfield said.

She feels the ordinance has little to do with the caretaking of the animals. “It’s not about tak-ing care of the animals, it’s about not offending your neighbors,” Springfield said.

Tanya Wildt can be reached at 734-429-7380 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @twildt. Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.

‘Rules are the rules,’ according to one official

Team RWB helps wounded vets get lives back

By Sarah RiggSpecial Writer

“He wasn’t supposed to live. And then he wasn’t supposed to walk or talk,” said Lisa Schuster, mother and caregiver to Matt Drake, the sole survivor of an 2004 IED attack in Afghanistan.

The medical staff at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., rehabilitated Drake’s body, but a new nonprofit organi-zation, Team Red, White & Blue, has helped the now-retired soldier rehabilitate his social life.

The organization was started in the summer of 2010 by University of Michigan alum Mike Erwin, who earned a master’s degree in psychol-ogy from U of M. Erwin is a major in the U.S. Army and today teaches psychology and leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he lives with his wife and children.

Jonathan Algor, a mem-ber of the governing board for Team RWB, is also broth-er-in-law to founder Eriwn. He said he agreed to get involved with Team RWB not just because he was a family member, though many members of Erwin’s family are deeply involved in the organization.

“For me, being a vet myself, I recognized the issues I came back with and I felt I came back whole,” Algor said.

He added that he can only imagine the difficul-ties that wounded veterans

have integrating back into society after a tour with the military.

“It all started when Mike raised $20,000 or $30,000 for another nonprofit, the Wounded Warrior Project,” Algor said. “He gave the money, but he had no per-sonal connection to any of the vets he raised the money for. At the same time, he was studying positive psy-chology, which is focused on relationships, and it gave him the spark to start Team RWB.”

Personal connections are at the heart of the nonprof-it’s goal for wounded vets.

The nonprofit’s mission statement, in part, reads that the founder’s vision is to “transform the way wounded veterans are reintegrated into society when they return from combat and exit their posi-tion… Strong relationships between wounded veterans and their fellow Americans are critical to veterans’ reintegration into civilian life, as well as our nation’s success.”

The model originally was solely to connect a com-munity volunteer, called an advocate, to a veteran for one-on-one friendship and support. However, the board of the nonprofit quickly realized that model didn’t work for all veterans, so Team RWB has branched out to include more group “meet and greet” events, as well as outings to sporting and fitness events and other group socializing opportu-nities.

“The one-on-one model is still active, but these days, we’re more about building community and a support network, and one-on-one relationships are only part of that,” Algor said. “Some veterans and advocates feel

more comfortable in a one-on-one setting, while some prefer bigger groups.”

Team RWB is now active in 18 states, but Ann Arbor is where it all started and is still considered the model for budding programs in other areas. Part of the rea-son Team RWB took root in Ann Arbor is the University of Michigan connection, but the other big reason was the support of the Ann Arbor VA system, specifical-ly that of Jennifer Loar, the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System’s Polytrauma/TBI coordinator. TBI stands for “traumatic brain injury.”

“It would be nice if we had a relationship at every VA like we have here with Jen,” Algor said.

Loar said she first encountered the Team RWB idea after she’d been work-ing with returning combat

veterans for about four years at the Ann Arbor VA.

“And in the summer of 2010, I met with the founder of Team RWB, Mike Erwin,” said Loar. “He and another local advocate pre-sented to me what I thought was a solid foundation for an organization to fill a need for veterans, some-thing that wasn’t already out there. They were not just trying to raise aware-ness or hand out money, but rather looking to form per-sonal relationship between everyday great Americans and veterans. I thought this was dynamic, and I felt good about it.”

Team RWB isn’t an offi-cial VA program, but VA staff serves as the screeners who refer veterans who seem as if they could ben-efit from the program.

“At first, they were going

to target just severely injured service members,” Loar said. “But I provided them with a little more information about those who may not have ‘severe’ injuries, but might still be struggling with their inte-gration.”

Loar said she identified Drake as a good candidate to benefit from Team RWB.

“He’d been living in Ann Arbor a while, getting physical rehabilitation,” she said. “But he also needed some life rehab.”

Team RWB helped move Drake into his own apart-ment, increasing his inde-pendence, and also helped the veteran find ways to connect with other people.

“For Matthew, once the focus was off every minute being spent on physical therapy, then he was at a stage of asking, ‘Now what?

I’m not the same as used to be. How do I get back to quality of life that would make me happy?’” said Schuster. “He wanted to be productive, to be kept busy, to have friends.”

Loar, through the VA, had already put Drake into a therapeutic horse-riding program, and when Team RWB got under way in Ann Arbor, the organization helped fund his participa-tion in the therapeutic pro-gram. Erwin and his wife came to visit and see the sta-bles, to find out how things were working out for Drake. Eventually, the founder made his own personal con-nection and became Drake’s advocate.

“We went to a restau-rant, went to a Red Wings game, and a Tigers baseball game,” Drake said. “That was fun.”

Drake was happy to do typical family stuff, hanging out with the Erwins and their kids, eating pizza and just socializing.

Schuster said the friend-ship made a big difference to Drake.

“I heard a level of enthu-siasm and excitement in his voice I hadn’t heard in quite a while,” Schuster said.

“Those are the kinds of things that make life worth living,” Drake said.

To see a video of Drake before his injury and during his rehabilita-tion, visit http://youtu.be/cxWOS9u3KN4. To read more about his experience in Afghanistan and that of his deceased companions, visit http://matthewtdrake.tripod.com/. To learn more about Team Red, White & Blue, visit www.teamrwb.com.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer. You can reach her at [email protected].

Started in Ann Arbor, RWB now in 18 states

Team Team Red, White & Blue board member Jonathan Algor (left), Ann Arbor VA traumatic brain injury caseworker Jennifer Loar and U.S. Army veteran Matthew Drake are pictured. Team Red, White & Blue, has helped the now-retired soldier rehabilitate his social life.

County sees drop in delinquent property taxes

By Sean DaltonHeritage Media

Requesting approval from the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners to issue short-term bonds to cover delinquent property taxes is a routine thing for the county treasurer to do, although this year’s request came with some good news that has been out of the ordinary since the econom-

ic downturn.“For the first time since

2005, we have seen a drop in delinquent property taxes,” county treasurer Catherine McClary said.

The county tracks the dollar amount of delin-quent property taxes, as well as the number of par-cels that are in delinquency, which are reported to McClary’s office every year in March by the townships, villages and cities that com-prise the county.

The county issues the short-term “general obli-gation limited tax notes” and pays the cash to the locals, which rely on the stability of property taxes

to consistently provide or buy services for their resi-dents each year, some of which those municipalities are required to provide by statute.

The delinquent tax dol-lar amount reported this year is $26 million, which is down from nearly $32.5 mil-lion the previous year. The number of parcels is also down to 9,500 this year from nearly 11,000 the year prior.

On an individual basis townships, villages and cities have seen their specific delinquency stats stabilize or even drop, with the exception of Scio and Sharon townships, neither of which has reported to

McClary as of publish.Needless to say, property

tax collection is an incred-ibly significant and large part of general funds.

“Half of the general fund is real property taxes,” McClary said. “Fully, one third of county revenues come from property taxes.”

Commissioner Alicia Ping asked one of the few questions during the pre-sention, specifically about the term of the bonds, which McClary informed her would run until 2015 or two to two and a half years depending on how soon they’re issued.

McClary put the delin-quent property taxes into

the perspective of the broader economy.

“Mortgage foreclosures increase and tax fore-closures also increase ... delinquent taxes are a lead-ing economic indicator to let you know what’s going to happen three or four years down the road,” she explained.

She says that progression is working in reverse lead-ing to a positive upward trend that is too distinct to be an anomoly.

“This year’s parcel count (of 9,500) is a 15 percent drop ... we are looking at a true drop ... paying per-sonal property taxes aren’t the first thing on people’s

agenda when they’re try-ing to eat,” McClary said. “To see this drop means that we’re really looking at something stronger here.”

Prior to the 2000s, the county was running nearly $21 million worth of delin-quent taxes each year until Proposal A was passed in 1994.

Once that happened, that figure dropped to a steady $15 million, since governments went over to taxable values instead of equalized values. That level of delinquency was steady until 2006.

Delinquencies in terms

First time since 2005, treasurer says

PLEASE SEE TAXES/15-A


sometime after the 2012-2013 school year.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done before we get to that point,” Lisiscki said.

“We’re taking a finan-cial crisis and we’re using it as an opportunity to do what’s best for our kids, educationally.”

Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel facilitated Tuesday’s meeting.

“The intent here is to make one new school district,” he said. “We’re proposing what we believe is an appropriate, locally generated response to the (financial) situation that the two districts are in, that will result in a long-term, successful edu-

cational system that has community buy in.”

Willow Run and Ypsilanti could create a model for other areas with struggling districts, Menzel said.

The Willow Run and Ypsilanti Collaboration and Communication Task Force, which consists of board members and staff from both districts, formed in August 2011 with the support of the WISD, to explore sustainable solu-tions, through consolida-tion of services.

“Both districts have lost a substantial amount of students,” Menzel said. “We anticipate that as the new school system is launched…this will be a destination district and we’ll be able to bring back some of those students.”

The task force is recom-mending that both boards adopt a “unification plan”

and approve a ballot ques-tion about the proposed consolidation, for a future election, potentially with-in the next year.

Both boards of educa-tion will consider schedul-ing a joint public board meeting, about the plan and ballot, for 7 p.m. April 16, at an undetermined location.

School officials will dis-cuss the topic when YPS meets at 7 p.m. March 26 and Willow Run meets at 6:30 p.m. March 29.

Martin said he thinks the consolidation will ben-efit the greater Ypsilanti community.

“We have to, ultimately, use what’s good for kids as our guide and we have to be efficient stewards of the public dollar,” Martin said.

Leaders from both dis-tricts want the community to continue to have control

in shaping the schools. “We know the popula-

tion that we service,” Lisiscki said. “We know what our kids need and we want to get that done.”

The task force is also suggesting that the dis-tricts hire and share a Special Education Director, who will be employed through the WISD. Menzel said that this is a significant step in the direction of collabora-tion.

The task force is devel-oping an action plan for further collaboration, which will detail legisla-tive initiatives - such as potentially higher per pupil allocations or other supplemental relief, Menzel said.

“The governor, in his budget proposal, has $10 million for consolidation and shared services,” he said.

The task force plan is predicated on the legislature’s approval of the budget and incentives and school leaders said they will continue to work with Representative David Rutledge throughout the process.

Consolidation will not automatically solve both districts’ financial issues.

“We need the state to provide an extended repay-ment period for that accu-mulated debt,” Menzel said.

“If we have to eliminate that in a two-year period, I say we, it’s both districts looking at that, the kinds of reductions that take place in each district mean that we cannot provide the kinds of educational expe-riences the students need to be successful,” he said.

Both high school facili-ties are adequate to serve the combined population

of both districts, Martin said, but no matter what the history of both dis-tricts will remain.

“The goal is not to erase a proud tradition or proud histories from both communities, but to really look at bringing the best of both communities together,” Martin said.

“While we’re two sepa-rate school district com-munities, this is still the community of Ypsilanti, no matter how you cut it.”

Rachelle Marshall is a freelance writer for the Ypsilanti Courier. She can be reached at [email protected].


MERGEFROM PAGE 1-A

in the hip, another 18-year-old shot in the chest, and a 20-year-old shot in the stomach. One is from Ypsilanti Township and the other two are from Ann Arbor.

EMU Executive Director of Media Relations, Geoff Larcom, said none of the individuals involved were EMU students. He con-firmed the three victims were taken to the hospi-tal for non-life threaten-ing injuries.

The suspect, identified as Dodson, is 5 feet, 8

inches tall and is about 160 pounds. According to police, he is an acquain-tance of the victims. Police advise residents the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.

EMU sent emergency text messages to stu-dents, faculty and com-munity members at 7:56 p.m. regarding the shoot-ing.

Students received emails and text messages through an alert system called Rave. The message described the suspect as wearing a baggy, white shirt, blue jeans and a red baseball cap.

Anyone with informa-tion about the shooting or

suspect is asked to con-tact Detective Sgt. Troy Fulton at the Ypsilanti Police Department at 734-482-9878, Detective Joe Yuhas at 734-368.8780, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP.

Krista Gjestland contribut-

ed to this report.Staff Writer Ben Baird can

be reached at 734-429-7380 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BenBaird1.

Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather

alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may

apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.EMU

FROM PAGE 1-A

FOLLOW HERITAGE NEWSPAPERShttp://twitter.com/HeritageNews

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EDITORIALThursday, March 29, 2012-A www.heritage.com

Letters to the EditorLetters may be sent to Michelle Rogers at [email protected] or leave your name, city and a comment on our Google Voice number, 734-531-8774.

Our policyIt is our policy to run all local letters to the editor that deal with local issues and are not personal attacks.

OUR TAKE: Editorial

The U.S. economy is improving faster than econo-mists had expected, according to the findings of the latest survey by The Associated Press.

That is certainly good news, although we think too much is being made on the impact an improved economy will have on President Barack Obama’s re-election bid.

While we doubt that the president’s policies have had much to do with battling the Great Recession, we welcome the good news.

Unemployment is at 8.3 percent and is expected to decrease to at least 8 percent by the end of the year.

Those economists surveyed predict that will fall to 7.4 percent by the end of 2013.

That is 0.4 percent better than an earlier AP Economy Survey.

Industrial output jumped in January. Auto sales are booming. Consumer confidence has reached its highest point in a year and even the housing market is showing sign of turning around.

“The economy is finally starting to gain some steam, with consumers and businesses more optimistic about prospects in 2012,” said Chad Moutray, chief economist at the National Association of Manufacturers.

The improved jobs market is particularly impres-sive. Employers added more than 200,000 net jobs in both December and January. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in nearly three years.

We didn’t get into the Great Recession, which start-ed in 2007, and we don’t buy into the argument that it ended in July 2009, particularly here in Michigan.

But we do agree with those surveyed by the AP that better days are ahead.

And if cars sales drive the economy in southeastern Michigan, 2012 could be a very good year.

Now, if someone can just figure out a way to get gas prices back under $3 a gallon, we would really look forward to the coming summer months.

—Courtesy of The Macomb Daily

U.S. economy seems to be improving

What type of exercise do you prefer?

A. Running or jogging

B. Tennis

C. Swimming

D. CyclingON

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Your Voice: Letters to the Editor

Speculators driving up gas prices and hurting American families

Fire departments’ mutual aid pacts fall prey to politics

An exorbitant sum to area fire departments is the result of the oil-water mix of technology and ego-driv-en, non-fiscally responsible local government officials.

Ask any fire department chief “off the record,” and they will tell you the mutu-al aid program between departments, which ini-tially made sense, has been politicized and runs amok at a tremendous cost to the taxpayer.

Case in point is a recent storage room fire at Weber’s Inn restaurant tipped the trip wire, and half-a-dozen fire departments were called to mutually aid the Ann Arbor Fire Department.

By the time the Ypsilanti Township fire engine and the firefighters arrived, the fire was extinguished.

“So, what did we do?” one firefighter not with Ypsilanti Township asked, rhetorically.

“Our task was to go door-to-door in the hotel and inform guests they had to leave their rooms. Some people would not leave. I didn’t blame them. They were paying a tidy sum to be in those rooms. And the taxpayers were covering the tidy sum of us being there fighting with them instead of a fire.”

Why was the Ypsilanti Township Fire Department — a station located 20 miles from the west side of Ann Arbor — sending a fire unit to Ann Arbor when the Scio Township Fire Department a few miles from Weber’s was conspicuously absent?

Apparently, the local gov-ernment politicians could not agree on a case for mutual aid between the two neighbors, and out-county taxpayers must cover the cost of their department traipsing around the county.

Case in point number two is the bulk of the fire responses by the Ann Arbor Township Fire Department are for automobile-acci-dent fires on the express-way. Recently, such a call triggered a notice from Ann Arbor Township for mutual aid to the Superior Township Fire Department.

A retired firefighter noted, “A slower than traf-fic fire engine traveling less-than-expressway-speed is an ‘accident waiting to happen.’

And a typical car fire will place firefighters out in a lane of traffic with extin-guishers and hoses, and all the flashing lights and flo-rescent clothes in the world cannot protect the rescuers from crazy drivers.”

The Superior Township Fire Department, respond-ing to a recent mutual aid request from Ann Arbor Township, found a car fire extinguished upon arrival. They turned around and went back to the Superior Township fire station 15 miles away.

An estimate I received from a fire authority for the cost of that needless excur-sion was a minimum $1,000, including insurance, wages, training, fuel, vehicle main-tenance and depreciation.

The local governing bod-ies are mutually fiddling while taxpayer dollars need-lessly go up in smoke.

Dale R. LeslieAnn Arbor

Once again, oil prices are spiking, threatening our economic recovery and causing real hardship for American families and businesses. The price of a barrel of oil is up nearly 30 percent since early October.

Unfortunately, that’s nothing new. For years now, the commodity markets have taken the American people on an expensive and damaging roller coaster ride with rapidly changing prices for crude oil.

At the start of 2007, oil cost about $50 a barrel. By July of 2008, oil prices had shot to nearly $150 per bar-rel and then, by the end of the year, crashed to $35.

In the beginning of 2011, oil prices took off again, climbing to over $110 a barrel in May. By October, the price fell to $75 a barrel, a drop of more than 30 percent over four months.

Now, three and a half months later, oil prices are back up.

One of the major factors driving these high prices isn’t getting enough attention: excessive speculation in the commodity markets.

Investigations by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which I chair, have shown how the activities of specula-tors – those who don’t produce or use oil, but who bet on oil price changes – have overwhelmed normal supply and demand factors and pushed up prices at the expense of consumers and American business.

In 2006, the subcommittee released a report that found that billions of dol-lars in trading by speculators in the crude oil market was responsible for an estimated $20 out of the then $70

cost for a barrel of oil that year – and a corresponding rise in the price at the

gas pump.Since then, even more

speculators have entered the commodity markets. Today they bet billions of dollars on oil prices every day.

Oil markets exist to enable producers of oil and users of oil to do busi-ness. But at a November hearing before my sub-committee, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Gary Gensler, testified that 80 percent or more of oil trades are now made by speculators.

In February, Forbes magazine, citing a recent report by Goldman Sachs, reported that oil speculation adds 56 cents to the price of each gallon of gas bought at the pump. Before speculators flooded the markets, oil prices were determined by fundamental market forces of supply and demand.

When supplies were tight and demand high, prices went up.

In contrast, when supplies were ample and demand low, prices went down. Nowadays, that relationship is largely absent. There is no shortage in the supply of oil globally, and the United States is producing more oil than it has in a decade. Last year, the United States actually exported more gasoline and other petroleum products than we imported. At the same time, U.S. demand for fuel actually sank.

Under normal economic conditions, rising production and lower demand should mean lower prices. Instead, prices are more volatile than ever.

One key reason is that speculators are playing too large a role in the oil

market. If we are to get a handle on oil prices, we have to curb excessive speculation.

Congress has already taken the first steps. In July 2010, we told federal regulators to establish rules to prevent speculators from dominating markets and distorting prices.

Last year, the regulators rolled out the new rules. They are not as tough as they should be, but the real problem is that they are not yet fully in force. That means this important new tool lies dormant.

One big roadblock is that the finan-cial industry has filed a lawsuit to stop it from taking effect.

In the meantime, Congress should acknowledge that speculation is help-ing to drive up gas prices.

We should urge federal regulators to exercise emergency authority, without waiting any longer, to clamp down on excessive speculation in the oil mar-kets. Congress should also ask more of the president’s task force on com-modity speculation.

A year ago, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and I sent a letter asking President Obama to convene a task force to investigate and combat exces-sive oil speculation.

While the attorney general did convene a task force, it focused on criminal cases instead of the broader problem of commodity traders driving up gas prices. The task force should urgently refocus and bring its fire-power to the battle against excessive speculation.

American families cannot afford the current price of oil and neither can our economy, which after four years is beginning to turn a corner toward real growth. Ignoring how speculators affect oil prices could put our recovery at risk.

Carl Levin is the senior U.S. senator from Michigan.

Updating software on computers, phones and tablets good practice

It always happens when you are in the middle of preparing an important document or have five dif-ferent screens open that you’re not ready to close out.

If you have automatic updates enabled on your computer (and you should), I am sure there have been inconvenient times when the com-puter has prompted you to update.

I’ll bet a quick poll of my friends and family would reveal that most of us chose the “remind me later” option when asked to update our computer.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had pressed the “remind me later” button a few times myself in the past. However, that was before I started working in the field of cyber security.

Now that I understand that those updates include critical software patches designed to keep my comput-er safe from known vulnerabilities, I don’t wait to update. Companies issue technical alerts describing updates necessary to fix vulnerabilities in their software.

They are continually compiling information sent to them automati-cally, and from consumers choosing to send reports when something goes wrong on their computer.

That data is used to create stronger, faster, better versions of the original software sold.

Version 10.0 is quickly replaced by version 10.1, 10.2 and others as the engineers learn of ways the software can be manipulated or just ways to improve the quality.

It can be inconvenient to stop what you are doing, save all your docu-ments, let the computer update and then restart your computer to activate the updates. Something more incon-

venient than doing the five-minute update is getting a computer virus.

So, take the time to keep your computer software up-to-date when prompt-ed. It could save you time, effort and data.

Computers are not the only place we need to be updating software now that we have tablets and smartphones in our lives. Smartphones and tablets also need to be updated for new software frequently. Some need to be plugged in to a computer to down-load the newest software version while others can update remotely.

Either way, your phone and tablet should be run-

ning on the most recent software to help keep those devices and your information safe.

Apps on those devices also need to be updated for the same reasons as computer software.

In addition to making the apps work better and hopefully faster, the updates are designed to improve security. I go to the App Store on my

phone once a week and choose to “update all” apps.

While the updates are loading, I can still use my phone. Hardly inconve-nient at all! If I lost all the informa-tion on my phone because of a nasty virus, that would be inconvenient.

Today’s Quick Tip:Set your computer to automatic

updates and update as soon as the reminder comes up. Don’t press, “remind me later.”

Once a week or more often, plug your tablet and phone into your com-puter and check for updates.

Update “apps” on your phone and tablet when reminded.

To get more great information about staying safe online, including access to free monthly newsletters, webcasts and more, visit the Center for Internet Security at www.cisecu-rity.org. Stay tuned for our next chat!

Kristin Judge is the director of part-ner engagement for the Center for Internet Security, Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. She can be reached at [email protected].

Industrial output jumped in January. Auto sales are booming. Consumer confi dence has reached its highest point in a year and even the housing market is showing sign

of turning around.

ONLINESAFETY

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GUEST COLUMN

CARL LEVIN

In Ypsilanti, we have seen a hunger for local news, and there is a large student population and academic community interested in learning and gaining hands-on experience, as well as numerous volun-teers and nonprofit groups interested in sharing local news and being involved in the community.

We feel the area has been underserved by the media since the closing of its only daily newspaper in the 1990s. A Community Media Lab in Ypsilanti would provide a learning-based and collaborative environment, as well as a vehicle for the community to document and chronicle the important events that will shape its history, while sharing community news and diverse voices.

The Community Media Lab also will provide a talent pool for Heritage Media to draw on to further our mission of bringing news and information on a variety of platforms to our audience at Heritage.com, while engaging them and including them in the process.

Our goal is to teach the community to gather and report news on a variety of platforms, from creating video and podcasts to photo

slideshows and sound slide-shows to timelines, locator maps, info graphics, live tweeting, creating Storified compilations and data-bases, and become collabo-rators with Heritage.com, bringing the outside in and creating a transparent com-munity newsroom.

We believe the com-munity is open to using new digital technologies, blogging and sharing content on social media. Some of our partners include Eastern Michigan University faculty, The Eastern Echo, professional journalists, public relations gurus, videographers and photographers, as well as student journalists and community bloggers. They will help lead workshops on podcasting, videography, photography, use of social media, reporting, narrative writing, ethics in journal-ism, how to file a request under the Freedom of Information Act, sourcing stories, resume writing, and collaborate in other ways such as sharing con-tent.

We also plan on recruit-ing high school students, from across Washtenaw County who have an inter-est in digital media to offer them a vehicle where they can hone their skills and showcase their talent while getting advice and support from professional journal-ists.

While the Community

Media Lab officially opens May 1 at SPARK-East, beginning April 2 it will be staffed with professional journalists and editors. Anyone interested in par-ticipating may stop in and talk with us, experiment with technology and pro-duce content. We will have someone on site from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the SPARK-East building, and will offer occasional workshops in the evening.

Our staff will be avail-able to work with student journalists, community contributors and commu-nity group media liaisons, as well as members of the public interested in the process. Our goal is to also collaborate more with the community to crowdsource stories and gather news tips.

By May 1, a public blog-ging station will be set up at SPARK-East and a schedule of workshops will be released to the public. Community Media Lab participants will be encour-aged to work and learn on site at the SPARK office, where there are comfort-able chairs and desks. Those who have laptop computers, smartphones and photography or video equipment are encouraged to bring them and use them.

We would like to estab-lish videographer teams, social media teams, inter-

active media teams, and utilize trainers, interns, bloggers and broadcasters.

Workshops will include the following and more will be added as needs are expressed:

■ A basic blogging class, which already has course material and was taught previously at the Saline Senior Center, would be offered for those interested in starting a blog.

■ A class on social media and how to effectively use it for yourself, your organiza-tion or your business.

■ A class for college stu-dents looking at applying for internships and jobs, and the things to do to pre-pare for them.

■ A class on how to prop-erly write press releases, what news organizations are looking for in them, how to properly submit them and alternative ways to present news.

• A class on Google Docs and how to use it as part of a collaborative process.

■ An intermediate class on blogging, including monetizing blogs and nar-rowing your specific mes-sage and subject matter.

■ A basic video editing course to encourage user-generated video, “video press releases” and other types of community-sub-mitted material.

And we’re open to more ideas. If you want to teach a workshop or have an idea for one, please let us know.

We also want to hear from people who are interested in taking on a larger role in the Community Media Lab with the understanding that no one is paid for their time in the lab as it’s a com-munity partnership.

The Community Media Lab is all about learn-ing, experimenting with digital storytelling tools and communicating while bolstering the news cover-

age in Ypsilanti, which will benefit the community as a whole.

A reception will be held sometime in May at SPARK-East. We’ll let you know when we set the date. We will keep you posted on our progress and would like to hear from you.

Contact Managing Editor Michelle Rogers at [email protected] or call 734-429-7380.


MEDIAFROM PAGE 1-A

The Eastern Michigan University School of Engineering Technology will host an information night from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, April 16.

Participants will be able to meet with faculty mem-bers to discuss the programs and opportunities offered by the School of Engineering Technology at EMU. There will be a Q & A session and a tour of the laborato-ries. Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP online by April 9 at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRzWjZrVXRTWkRZM0s0NVh2S0RSWnc6MQor contact Philip Rufe at 734-487-2040 or email [email protected].

The event will take place at118 Sill Hall, Room 2 in Ypsilanti.

The event is free and open to the public.

Hundreds of mattresses, chairs, couches, dressers and microwave ovens are on sale at the Washtenaw Avenue building in Ypsilanti that formerly housed a Hollywood Video store, 1480 Washtenaw Ave.

The furniture was donated by Eastern Michigan University to the nonprofit Homeless Empowerment Relationship Organization, that specializes in empowerment ser-vices.

HERO will only have access to

the building until the end of April, so the goal is to sell everything by that time.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. until the end of April.

For more information or to bar-ter volunteer hours for furniture, call Marti Rodwell, execu-tive director, at 734-975-6849.

HERO’s mission is to help people who are homeless or at risk of

homelessness to recognize and claim the power within, in order to obtain their goals for personal growth and success. The organiza-tion offers 10 workshops designed to teach a variety of empowerment skills, including goal setting, the art of negotiation, and conflict resolution. HERO also provides professional clothing, shoes and household items, as well as toys at Christmas, baskets at Easter and school supplies in early fall.

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World Kidney Day draws crowd at U of M Hospital

By Michelle Pafford HelmsSpecial Writer

One day, when Ypsilanti resident Lovell Freeman was at work, he bent over and felt dizzy. After being rushed to the hospital, he was diag-nosed with hypertension and learned that he would need to go on dialysis within three days.

His dialysis lasted for more than 11 years.

Freeman was one of the hundreds of attendees at this year’s World Kidney Health Fair held earlier this month and hosted by the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan and the University of Michigan Health System.

According to informa-tion from the kidney foun-dation, more than 900,000 Michigan adults are living with chronic kidney dis-ease. Many adults with it are not aware of their con-dition, and there are little or no symptoms in the early stages. Diabetes and hypertension are the two leading causes of kidney disease, causing more than 70 percent of all kidney failure cases in Michigan.

National Kidney Foundation of Michigan’s Communications Coordinator Lindsay White said that it’s impor-tant that people take preventative measures to avoid kidney disease, as it is often referred to as a “silent killer.”

“People can have a low kidney function, but until they experience near renal failure, that’s when they

start hav-ing signs or kidney failure. At that point, it’s either

a transplant or dialysis to maintain life,” White said.

Ann Arbor resident Bob Meyer, program coordina-tor of patient services at the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, said that the day’s event, which featured free kidney screenings for blood pres-sure, weight, protein, and glucose levels, as well as urine tests to see if people were at risk for kidney dis-ease, was a great opportu-nity for people to get infor-mation. Meyer, who was on dialysis and received a transplant 15 months later, said that awareness is the key to avoiding the disease.

“I guess it is two-fold: awareness of where your kidney function is, and if you have conditions, man-aging those so you don’t become a kidney patient,” said Meyer.

Dr. Frank Brosius, professor and chief of nephrology at the University of Michigan, said this is the ninth year that U of M has sponsored the event, and that this year, the theme had to do with increased transplan-tation and organ donation, and improving access to transplantation.

“Worldwide, we are really trying to stress the idea of increasing organ donation so that more peo-ple can get the gift of life,” Brosius said. “In the state of Michigan now, the aver-age wait time, unless you have a living donor lined

up, is six years. So it is a long wait for an organ, and many people don’t survive that long.”

Brosius said that research shows that there doesn’t seem to be any negative health effects associated with donat-ing a kidney and that the surgery for donors has become easier.

“The surgery has actu-ally become much simpler and smaller than it used to be. They can actually now take kidneys out lapros-copically, so the time in the hospital for the donor is about three days,” Brosius said.

Freeman, who received a kidney transplant in 2006 at U of M, said that the past six years have opened up a new chapter in his life that have allowed him to work, volunteer for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan as a peer mentor, and pro-vided him “with a whole lot of freedom.” However, Freeman said, while he

was on dialysis, he learned the importance of adapt-ing to it and fitting it into his life.

“My message is, if you have to start on dialysis, don’t let dialysis rule your life. You have to rule dialy-sis,” Freeman said. “Just live your normal life. You might slow down on some

things that you have to do, but continue on doing the best that you can. It will come through for you. Stick with it.”

The kidney foundation encourages people to sign up for the Michigan Organ Donor Registry which can be found at http://www.nkfm.org.

Dr. Frank Brosius, chief of nephrology at the University of Michigan Health System, said the theme for this year’s event stressed increased trans-plantation and organ dona-tion and improving access to transplantation.

Foundation urges people to register

Dr. Frank Brosius said that research shows that there doesn’t seem to be any negative health effects associated

with donating a kidney and that the surgery for donors has become easier.

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www.HERITAGE.com

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As oil companies con-tinue to pursue drilling rights in Washtenaw County despite local resis-tance, folks in Jackson and Lenawee County continue to contend with their own situation.

In 2009, oil industry surveyors thought there was oil in Napoleon. Survey wells proved them right, and ever since then, Jackson County has become Michigan’s leading oil producing county.

Irish Hills resident Pam Bacon said Washtenaw County residents who are concerned about oil production, particu-larly using fracking or methods that function as variants of it, are welcome to attend a pre-Environmental Protection Agency hearing town hall meeting with Christopher Grobbel, an environmental specialist with Grobbel Environmental & Planning Associates.

Fracking involves pump-ing chemical fracturing fluid into the ground to expedite the flow of oil or gas at an extraction site, when the resource is con-tained in hard rock where the natural flow would be to little and thus not eco-nomical.

While Paxton Resources continues to pursue leases in Saline and Lodi Township, as well as Chelsea and Manchester, West Bay Exploration is requesting approval to drill a pair of deep waste injection wells in Norvell Township.

Bacon’s concerns have to do with waste disposal and how it will affect her com-munity.

“We’re known as the community of 52 lakes,” Bacon said of Irish Hills.

Naturally being

situated among so much water means that, like many rural residents in Washtenaw County, the folks in Bacon’s communi-ty drink from groundwater, which is concerning given what she has seen.

It’s something that County Commissioner Wesley Prater doesn’t want to see come to pass in Washtenaw County, which is why he has been pressing for a county com-mission work session to further investigate the matter.

Prater was also recently at a Washtenaw County Road Commission meet-ing where the road com-missioners said “no” to Paxton’s request to option 0.2 acres of land owned by the road agency.

That land is a minuscule part of a 160-acre parcel that officials with the com-pany claim to have “99.99 percent” signed over by the other property owners, so the road commission’s gesture merely stands as a show of concern added to Prater’s voice.

Michigan has compulso-ry pooling laws, so when an oil company signs most of the property owners with contiguous mineral rights, the minority who have not signed are compelled to agree by the courts.

“On this particular well in Saline Township they’re planning to drill down 3,500 feet and then do a lat-eral line. ... There will be at least three pipes in there,” Prater said, adding that there are too many similar-ities to hydraulic-fractur-ing methods, including the use of hydrochloric acid.

In Prater’s opinion, the state’s 15 employees work-ing under the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ supervisor of wells are hardly equipped to deal with the 15,000 oper-ating wells in Michigan

— a number that he wasn’t aware of until his concerns were stoked by resident resistance to Paxton in Saline and Lodi Township.

Despite that resistance, Paxton has already pur-chased 248,000 gallons of water from the city of Saline’s water utility, which will be delivered via 10,000 pounds of pres-sure along with the acid to crack the rock and shale at the site, Prater said.

“They say, ‘We’re not fracking,’ but I’m not sure what they are doing if they’re not fracking,” Prater said.

And he’s not the first to have the non-fracking alternative explained to him along with actual fracking and failed to see a significant difference, aside from the name.

Local officials are in tune with the will of the broader public, as evi-denced by the road com-mission’s unanimous sym-bolic denial of Paxton’s request.

“I think, at the end of the day, the citizens of Washtenaw County, the road commissioners felt that there wasn’t support for the oil exploration in this area,” said Washtenaw County Road Commission Executive Director Roy Townsend.

Grobbel will be present from 6 to 9 p.m. April 5 at Cornerstone Community Church, 201 Constitution Ave., in Brooklyn. For more information, call 517-945-4822.

Staff Writer Sean Dalton can be reached at 734-429-7380, [email protected] or on Twitter @seankdalton.Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.

Fracking concerns link residents of Washtenaw, Lenawee counties

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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 38 percent of young women are being tested for chla-mydia, a sexually transmit-ted disease that can cause infertility later in life if left untreated.

The CDC recommends all sexually active women ages 18 through 25 be tested for the STD, which is the most common infectious disease in the United States. Those who are older than age 25 and engage in high-risk behaviors also should be tested yearly.

Dr. Monique Reeves, medical director for the Washtenaw County Department of Public Health, said the county has its concerns with the number of women being tested, especially because the STD can cause long-term reproductive health issues, including infertility and potentially fatal tubal pregnancy.

“The reality is failure to screen these young women puts them at risk for signifi-cant repercussions on their reproductive tract for years to come,” she said.

According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, 1,381 cases of chlamydia were reported within the county in 2010, 379 of those cases being men. Of the total number, 421 were 15 to 19 years old and 596 were ages 20 through 24.

As of two weeks ago, there were more than 300 cases reported so far this year, she said.

“We’ve certainly had our share of problems with incidents of chlamydia in Washtenaw County,” she said.

Reeves emphasized that the statistics are an underestimate because it only includes the number of reported cases, not those who may have the STD, but are unaware because of not having symptoms.

Chlamydia is caused by a bac-terium known as Chlamydia trachomatis. Symptoms for women may include abnormal discharge from the vagina, painful and or frequent urination and abdominal pain and/or pain while having inter-course.

Men may experience a discharge from the penis, painful, burning sensation while urinating and pain in the testicles or abdomen.

It’s possible to be infect-ed, but show no symptoms.

According to the health department, 70 percent of women and 25 percent of infected men have no symp-toms. However, they can still infect their partner.

Treatment is done through a course of anti-biotics. The CDC recom-mends anyone diagnosed with the STD be retested three months after initial treatment to ensure that those who may have become

re-infected can be promptly treated with antibiotics.

“It’s critical that health-care providers are not only aware of the importance of testing sexu-ally active young women every year for chlamydia infections, but also of retesting any-one who is diag-nosed,” stated Dr. Gail Bolan, direc-

tor of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, in a press release. “Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics, and retesting plays a vital role in preventing serious future health consequences.”

If the recommendation is not new, then why are patients not being screened enough?

“I think there are a lot of well-intentioned clini-cians out there who have an image in mind of what a girl with an STD looks like,” said Reeves.

Some may think it won’t happen to patients within their practice, she said.

“Chlamydia doesn’t care about your socioeco-nomic status or your street address,” she said. “The risk comes from having unprotected intercourse and that’s engaged in by women in all walks of life.”

Other issues involve insurance coverage. If the patient is not showing symptoms, it can be con-sidered a preventative test and is not covered by some insurance companies, she said.

Until the Affordable Care Act was enacted, the health department saw issues with women who were no longer on their parents’ insurance and not being screened. With the ACA, many can now be screened as they remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26.

The health department works at addressing the issue by a number of means such as the Washtenaw County Adult Clinic, where patients can be seen and tested for STDs, regardless of their insurance status. If they are found to be positive for gonorrhea or chlamydia, they can receive free treatment with funding from the health depart-ment.

The county health department also par-ticipates in community outreach programs with

the Corner Health Center in Ypsilanti and has STD counselors assisting on col-lege campuses.

They are also working to get the message out through social media, including Facebook.

For more information about available clinics, visit http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/depart-ments/public_health/adult_health/ph_hltaids.html.

Staff Writer Amy Bell can be reached at 429-7380 or [email protected].

County health department wants more STD testingCommunity outreach in place to help

Monica Reeves

Until the Affordable Care Act was enacted, the health department saw issues with women who were no longer on their parents’ insurance and not being screened. With the ACA, many can now be screened as they remain on

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THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 ★ PAGE 11-Awww.heritage.com

County establishes $500K relief fund for Dexter


After a heartfelt and sometimes tearful exchange at the March 21 Ways and Means meeting of the Washtenaw County Commission, County Administrator Verna McDaniel received the go-ahead to establish a disas-ter relief fund for Dexter.

The allocation will come from capital reserves “for the purpose of providing continued assistance to residents’ impacted by the recent tornado in the Dexter area.”

“This county should be damn proud of them-selves this week,” Dexter Township Supervisor Pat Kelly said.

Kelly thanked the Washtenaw County Road Commission for working in tandem with police authorities to keep the roads safe and secure at a time when traffic needed to be tightly controlled for neighborhood security, and to allow crews to engage in cleanup of felled trees and other debris.

The fund will partially pay for deputy overtime, as well as fund further clean-up efforts, including hir-ing contractors to remove debris or to continue to provide disposal service for waste, which the county has been transporting to the Chelsea landfill.

The county has also pro-vided nine Dumpsters that it owns to the village and township.

Commissioner Rob Turner, whose district encompasses the village and Dexter Township, has operated as the com-mission’s liaison to the area during the crisis and recovery.

“Pat doesn’t have the beauty of a public works (department),” Turner said while giving Kelly credit for doing a lot with less than Village Manager Donna Dettling has to work with in the village.

“Donna Dettling has done a wonderful job. She has a great support group,” Turner added. “Pat doesn’t have that. We can see that she was in need.”

Turner ensured that the volunteers in Carriage Hills subdivision, in partic-ular, were supported with portable rest facilities, provided by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation head Robert Tetens, and the Dumpsters that the county had been managing so those who live in the area can safely dis-pose of tree materials and other debris knocked loose by the winds.

Tetens also ordered in a crew with a wood chip-per and trucks to remove

limbs on Horseshoe Bend, while the road commis-sion has hired Harry Fox Construction, which has been working in the area of Dexter-Pinckney Road the past few days removing an astounding amount of felled trees and branches.

The road commission’s fee for the contractor is $20,000 per day. When the work is done on Dexter-Pinckney Road, the crew was ordered into Carriage Hills to accelerate the cleanup there, Turner said last week.

Turner added that he was pleased with how the community took water and fruit to workers in the unseasonable heat, as well as the fact that there have been no reported injuries of workers or volunteers.

State Rep. Mark Ouimet said that two legislative initiatives are in the works in Lansing as a direct result of Dexter’s plight. The first one will address what will happen with the home values in affected neighborhoods, in cases where a house was dam-aged or even destroyed.

“How is it going to be judged and how is the replacement going to be assessed?” Ouimet asked.

The second piece involves a policy for han-dling overtime budgets when a crisis demands an elevated response from emergency authorities such as in Dexter.

“I think it’s a clear understanding from local government about how challenging this is to gov-

ernment when budgets are stretched to where they are, you have to just go do it because we’re dealing with people.”

Commissioners Yousef Rahbi and Dan Smith both joked with the administra-tive staff about McDaniel discouraging them from putting on their best flan-nels and slinging a chain-saw over their backs.

“It wasn’t about me running over there and helping myself ... I was a part of the folks helping in Dexter because my county government and every single person in this com-munity stood up to help the people in Dexter and Dexter Township,” Rahbi said.

Commissioner Wesley Prater singled out the sheriff department’s Marc Breckenridge for honing the department’s excel-lence in first responding through ongoing emergen-cy drills and training.

McDaniel thanked all of the county employees who volunteered during the crisis and reiterated that the county government will continue standing by Dexter Village and Dexter Township.

Staff Writer Sean Dalton can be reached at 734-429-7380, [email protected] or on Twitter @seankdalton. Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.

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YPSILANTI POLICE BRIEFSHome invasion suspect arrested, found hiding in bush with stolen electronics

Police arrested a man hiding in a bush with stolen electronics while investigating a reported home invasion during the early hours Sunday.

At about 1 a.m., Ypsilanti police received a call from a resident of the 900 block of Congress Street, who reported a

home invasion at their neighbor’s apartment.

Officers immediately responded to the area and located a suspect, hiding in some bushes several blocks from where the home invasion was report-ed. The suspect, a 34-year-old Ypsilanti Township man, was found in posses-sion of stolen electronics.

Investigators deter-mined the suspect forced his way into the apart-ment through a rear win-dow and exited through the front door with miscel-

laneous electronic items.The suspect was trans-

ported to Washtenaw County Jail until he can be arraigned on possible charges. A parole detain-er was placed on him due to previous burglary charges.

Anyone with informa-tion about this incident is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Troy Fulton at the Ypsilanti Police Department at 734-482-9878 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP.

Reverse prostitution sting leads to 4 arrests

Four men were arrested last Thursday for solicit-ing prostitution during a reverse prostitution sting operation conducted by Ypsilanti police and the Washtenaw County Sheriff ’s Office.

The operation occurred between 2 and 11:45 p.m. along the East Michigan Avenue corridor.

The operation, part of the Enforcement

Against Street Walking in Ypsilanti project, focused on addressing the root causes of prostitution and was developed under the problem oriented policing model.

Traditional tactics of simply arresting known prostitutes or those that solicit prostitutes have been ineffective, accord-ing to the sheriff ’s office.

Enforcement Against Street Walking in Ypsilanti brings together law enforcement, human services, the judicial

system and elected offi-cials toward providing resources meant to help those who want to remove themselves from a life of prostitution.

The project aims to ultimately clean up the streets of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township.

Staff Writer Ben Baird can be reached at 734-429-7380 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BenBaird1.

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP POLICE BRIEFS

Woman sexually assaulted by boy while jogging, according to police

A 40-year-old Ypsilanti Township woman was sexually assaulted by a boy, described as 12 or 13 years old, who grabbed her while she was jogging at North Bay Park.

She was jogging at about 7 p.m. last Thursday on an extension of the park on Grove Road when she was approached from behind

by the boy, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff ’s Office.

He allegedly grabbed her while moving in a sexual way. The woman was able to turn, which caused the suspect to fall. He then fled on foot toward Grove Road.

The suspect is described as having dark skin and is about 5 feet tall with a slen-der build. He was wearing a black and red striped long-sleeve shirt, black or red shorts, and black and red tennis shoes with no socks.

Anyone with information

about the incident is asked to call the sheriff ’s office through its confidential tip line, 734-973-7711, or the deputy handling the case at 734-971-8400 ext. 67290.

Roof-mounted fan stolen from Mexican restaurant

Washtenaw County Sheriff ’s Office deputies are investigating the theft of a roof-mounted vent fan

from La Fuente Mexican Restaurant, 1930 Whittaker Road.

The theft was discovered March 19 after restaurant employees discovered some equipment wasn’t work-ing properly. Investigators believe the theft occurred sometime during the previ-ous night.

Resident sees suspicious activity at neighbor’s home

A resident saw a suspi-

cious person leaving a residence at about 8 a.m. March 19 in the 500 block of Belmont Drive.

The resident called 9-1-1 told police they knew the resident at the address was not there. Sheriff deputies arrived and determined several items were stolen from the residence.

Suspect enters home, flees when resident sees him

At about noon March

19, a suspect entered a residence in the 800 block of Cliffs Drive through an open patio door. The sus-pect was seen by a resident who was home, and he fled the area on foot.

Sheriff deputies respond-ed to the area and searched for the suspect, but were unable to locate him. No property was stolen.


YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP POLICE BRIEFS

Motorcycle driver taken to hospital after collision

A collision occurred Friday at the Michigan Avenue and Carpenter Road intersection between a motorcycle and a larger vehicle.

Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety police and fire units responded to the accident at about 4:20 p.m.

The driver of the motor-cycle, a 27-year-old township man, was initially believed to have life-threatening inju-ries and was transported by Huron Valley Ambulance to the hospital. It was later determined the driver’s injuries were not life threat-

ening and he is expected to fully recover.

The driver of the other vehicle, a 25-year-old Ypsilanti woman, was not injured. She was on Michigan Avenue and attempted to turn left onto northbound Carpenter Road when the accident occurred.

Neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to have played a role in the collision, accord-ing to police.

The intersection was closed for about two hours during the investigation of the accident.

Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to call the Department of Public Safety at 734-822-4911.

Man arrested after

stealing police vehicleA 26-year-old Pittsfield

Township man was arrested early Saturday morning for

stealing a police vehicle.

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Empty Bowls help homeless families

Concordia University art students will host Empty Bowls, a benefit from 5 to 8 p.m. April 11 at Frenchie’s, 54 E. Cross St., in Ypsilanti.

Attendees who donate at least $10 will receive a warm soup dinner and a handcrafted bowl.

All proceeds will be donated to the SOS Food Pantry, which helps homeless families in Washtenaw County.

The Empty Bowls Project was created in 1990 by a high school art teacher in Michigan to help his students raise money for a local food drive. The concept has since been used by artists worldwide to raise mil-lions of dollars to fight hunger.

In 2010, SOS’s food pan-try served 3,771 consum-ers, and in 2011 the pantry served 7,390 consumers.

SOS’s food pantry is supported by Food Gatherers, as well as local donations. SOS also cur-rently has 62 families in housing programs.

SOS Community Services is a nonprofit organization serving homelessness families and individuals in Washtenaw County.

The agency is the single point of entry for anyone experiencing a housing emergency in the county.

The services include shelter and transitional housing, employability and educational assis-tance, parenting pro-grams, therapeutic child care and after-school children’s programs.

For more information about the benefit event, email [email protected] or call 485-8730.

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ALANIZ, VITA L.; age 53; of Battle Creek, for-merly of Saline, passed away Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Lifespan Good Samaritan Hos-pice Residence. She was born March 20, 1959 in Battle Creek, Michi-gan, the daughter of Fred and Diana (Hen-drickson) Alaniz. Vita was a 1977 graduate of Saline High School. She loved gardening and being in the sun. Sur-viving are three daugh-ters and one son: Diana (Joe) Hollenshead of Ann Arbor, Heather Stemm of Saline, Ricky Stemm of Saline and Alyse Stemm of Ann Ar-bor; one granddaugh-ter, Annabel Hollens-head; father and step-mother, Fred and Mary Ann Alaniz; grandmoth-er,Grace Hendrickson both of Battle Creek; three brothers, Casey Alaniz of Leakey, TX, Victor Alaniz of Mesick and Glenn Alaniz of Delton; her companion of many years, Jim Chowning of Battle Creek; and many loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Funeral Servic-es will be held 11 a.m. Monday at the RichardA. Henry Funeral Homewith interment to fol-low at Reese Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Memorial con-tributions may be given to the Lifespan Good Samaritan Hospice Residence.

www.henryfuneralhome.org

BLAESS, JULIUS E.; Pharr, TX, formerly of Chelsea, MI; age 90; passed away February 25, 2012. Father of Pat Whitesall and Judi Willson. Services Satur-day, March 31, 2012, 1 p.m. at St. Paul UCC in Chelsea, with Visitation 11 to 1 p.m. Full obit at

www.ColeFuneralChapel.com

SAKSEWSKI, JOSEPH E.; Ypsilanti, Michigan; age 64; died March 21, 2012 at home. Survived by his mother and two children. Preceded in death by his wife, Ju-dith in 2011. Funeral Mass was held Saturday at Immaculate Concep-tion Catholic Church, Milan. Burial followed at Marble Park Ceme-tery. See www.ochalekstark.com

for complete obituary.

GORANG, MYRTLE A.; Saline, Michigan; age 97; of Saline, Michigan; passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 3, 2012, with her loving family at her side. She was born on March 31, 1914 in Bad Axe, Michi-gan the daughter of Thomas and Hattie (Stone) Hart. She was married on June 19, 1937 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bad Axe, MI to Frank Gorang who preceded her in death in 1983. Myrtle worked for the Avondale School Dis-trict's lunch program for many years. After moving to Saline in 1984, she worked as a nutritionist for the Sa-line Senior Center. She will be fondly remem-bered for being a tal-ented artist and for her unfailing love and dedi-cation to her family and friends. Her paintings and cookie recipes will forever be cherished. She is survived by her children, Catherine (Larry) LaForge and Tom (Rita) Gorang. She was the loving grand-mother of Rene' La-Forge Raham (Roger), Lori LaForge Spiel (Da-vid), Julie LaForge Fis-cher (Kirk), Jennifer LaForge, Cristy Gorang Dokic (Mike), and Todd Gorang (Mary). She was adored by her great grandchildren, Robert and Reid Raham, Sarah and Melanie Spiel, Bradley and Lucy Fis-cher, and Ella, Thomas, and Tyler Dokic; also surviving are her sis-ters, Doris Galloway and Neva Getman; brother-in-law, John Gorang and many niec-es and nephews. She was preceded in death in addition to her hus-band; by her parents; brother, Allen Hart; great granddaughter, Baby Lil; and son-in-law, Larry. A Mass of the Resurrection took place at her beloved parish, St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Saline on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 with Rev. Fr. William J. Stevenson, Celebrant. Burial at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, 598 N. Barrie Rd., Bad Axe, Michigan 48413. Memo-rial contributions may be made to St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, 910 Austin Drive, Saline, Michigan 48176. Envelopes will be available at the Robison-Bahnmiller Fu-neral Home in Saline, MI. A Rosary Service was held for Mrs. Go-rang on Monday, March 5, 2012 at the funeral home. To leave a memo-ry or for more informa-tion please visit

www.rbfhsaline.com

KASTANIS, JOHN; age 87; of Clinton, formerly of Manchester; passed away on Monday, March 19, 2012, with his loving family by his side. He was born May 30, 1924 in Bertha, PA, the son of Antonio and Alexan-dra (Papamoleko) Kas-tauiondakis. He mar-ried Mary Mullen on July 22, 1950. Sadly, she preceded him in death on May 26, 1993. John was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was em-ployed as a firefighter for the city of Ann Ar-bor for 28 years, before retiring in December of 1980. John enjoyed golf-ing, watching sports, and was an avid Steel-ers fan. Surviving John are is sons, Anthony (Anne) Kastanis of Man-chester, Michael (Glo-ria) Kastanis of Tecum-seh, and Bill (Debra) Kastanis of Manchester; his daughters, Karen (Bill) Fortman of Brook-lyn and Patricia (Den-nis) Keezer of Clinton; 13 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; a brother; and 3 sisters. Visitation was held on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Clinton of Handler Fu-neral Home. Funeral Mass was held Friday, March 23, 2012 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 210 Wet Main Street, Manchester with Rev. Fr. Timothy D. Krzyzaniak as Cele-brant. Rite of Commit-tal followed at St. Mary's Cemetery. Con-dolences may be of-fered to the family by visiting

www.HandlerFuneralHome.com

LEEMAN, FREDERICKG.; Chelsea, Michigan; age 90; died Saturday, March 24, 2012; at Silver Maples of Chelsea. He was born May 9, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Edgar S. and Jen-ny Laura (Heath) Lee-man. Fred graduated from Wilmett High School, IL and attended Northwestern Military Academy in Lake Gene-va, Wisconsin. He at-tended Michigan State University, majoring in Agricultural Engineer-ing, and while there he met the love of his life, Mary Jane Riker. They were married January 31, 1942 in Pontiac, Michigan. During W.W.II, Fred served in the Army Air Corps. Fred was always active in local United Metho-dist Churches, includ-ing Manchester UMC, Westside UMC, North Lake UMC, and Frank-fort UMC. He was in-volved in Frankfort Ki-wanis Club, Manchester Optimist Club, and Ann Arbor Masonic Lodge, and was active in Boy Scouts, as a cub scout, boy scout, and as a leader. He worked at Argus Camera, where he received patents for a film projector and a lens polishing process. Later he worked for AA Products in Manches-ter, was Vice President of Dairy Queen Interna-tional, and finally re-tired from Malloy Lithographing, where he was Vice President in charge of Human Re-sources. After his re-tirement, Mary Jane and Fred enjoyed their retirement home on the Platte River. Fred will be remembered to his family for his genuine, loving, and kind sense of humor. For many, he was a fair-minded gen-tleman with unques-tionable principles to be emulated. He was a guide for many in the workplace though out their careers. Survivors include two children, F. Steve (Betty) Leeman of Chelsea, Mary Lou (Richard) Rigg of Chel-sea; four grandchil-dren, Beth Ann (Darin) Anderson of Eldridge, Iowa, Scott Leeman of Chelsea, Mary Eliza-beth (Jon) Oesterle of Chelsea, and John F. Rigg of Ann Arbor; five great grandchildren, Andrew, Brett, Matthew and Nathan Anderson, and Sumner Oesterle. He was preceded in death by his wife on January 14, 2012, his grandmother, Mable Hoffman, and his par-ents. Funeral Services were held Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at ColeFuneral Chapel, Rev. Kathy Schell officiat-ed. Burial Oak Grove Cemetery in Chelsea. Memorial contributions may be made to Frank-fort UMC or the Michi-gan Parkinson Founda-tion.

POWERS, L. SCOTT; of Manchester, MI; age 51; passed away on Sunday afternoon, March 25, 2012 at the University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor. He was born on June 16, 1960 in Ann Arbor, the son of H.C. "Charlie" and Mar-tha (Brown) Powers. He graduated from Chelsea High School in 1979, played football, and was an active member of Rogers Corners Herdsman 4-H Club. He was the owner and op-erator of Magic Touch Brick Pavers. He and his fiancée, Debbie Burmeister, are noted for their love and res-cue of domestic and ex-otic animals. Through-out his life he was an active participant in his children's activities, in-cluding horses (trail riding) and moto-cross. Surviving are four chil-dren: Denise (Joe Har-vey) Naylor of St. Clair Shores, Marley Powers of Clinton, Jesse Pow-ers of Ohio, and Jamie Powers of Manchester; his fiancée, Debra S. Burmeister, and her children: Stacey Bur-meister of Manchester, Lisa (Jason Haynes) Burmeister of Saline, and Brad Burmeister of Manchester; his sib-lings: Charlene (Ran-dall) Lange of Lodi, CA, Rod (Kathy) Powers of Chelsea, Holly (John) Porter of Manchester, and Bonnie (Walter) Lee of Lake Charles, LA; five grandchildren; and many nieces, neph-ews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents. In lieu of flowers, contribu-tions may be made to the family. A Celebra-tion of Life will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at the Chelsea Community Fair-grounds Service Center, 20501 Old US-12, Chel-sea, MI 48118, from 2 to 5 p.m. Private burial will take place at Web-ster Church Cemetery, Dexter. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Fu-neral Home, Chelsea.

Heritage Newspaperswant to honor your loved

ones memory.

For more information onplacing an In Memoriam ad,

please call1-877-888-3202

Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed legislation prohibiting schools from deducting union dues or service fees from employ-ees’ paychecks.

House Bill 4929, spon-sored by state Rep. Joe Haveman, also requires that unions representing public employees file with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission an independent audit of expenditures attributed to the cost of collective bar-gaining, contract admin-istration and grievance adjustment.

The commission must make the audits available to the public on its website.

“This legislation fur-thers the goal of good government by promot-ing greater transparency and ensuring that public resources are used solely for their intended purpos-es,” Snyder said in a news release.

“It is essential that state public school resources be devoted to the education of our children. This con-tinues the fiscal reforms designed to save schools money and help them oper-ate even more efficiently.”

Schools currently col-lecting dues or service fees under collective bargaining agreements may continue to do so until the contract expires or is terminated, extended or renewed.

H.B. 4929 now is Public Act 53 of 2012.

Bill governs education unions’ ability to collect dues

www.HERITAGE.com


By James David DicksonHeritage Media

Turn to your left. Now,

turn to your right. Usually this would be

the part when incoming first-year students would be told that, by the end of law school, one of the three people in the “look left, look right” game wouldn’t still be there.

The University of Michigan Law School doesn’t do things that way, an orientation speaker explained, thinking he was putting the class at ease, but John U. Bacon had seen enough.

“I’m the guy who won’t be here,” Bacon said before standing up and walking out on one of the most prestigious law schools in America.

Later that week, while his former classmates were breaking the ice and mak-ing career connections, Bacon was in a press box covering a high school football game for $50 for the now-defunct Ann Arbor News. The die had been cast — for better or worse.

Earlier this month, Bacon, author and journal-ist (“Three and Out,” “Bo’s Lasting Lessons”), was the guest speaker for the University of Michigan Sweetland Writing Center’s “How I Write” series. Bacon

shared insights on his writ-ing process before several dozen students and com-munity members. The talk was held at North Quad, 105 S. State St.

Bacon’s Lasting Lessons

Don’t write because you need to write; write because you have to write, Bacon said.

Bacon’s first real piece of writing, back in the type-writer days, was a short story about some guys playing basketball in Burns Park in Ann Arbor. Before he knew it, he had 10 pages and then another 10.

Bacon knew he had a problem when he was talk-ing to an attractive co-ed and found himself thinking more about the story than the girl. He’d been bitten by the writing bug.

With five books and thousands of stories and innumerable drafts behind him, Bacon says he now has more ideas than he had ever have time to handle. Material is no longer the challenge, nor is placing the stories, but finding the time can be tough.

Bacon recommended that writers spend at least an hour a day on their craft, and that consistency was better than marathon writ-ing sessions. At three pages an hour, an hour a day, five days a week, Bacon said, a person could finish his or her book within a year.

Another trick Bacon uses is to work from coffee shops

to avoid the distractions of home: the beer in the refrig-erator, the com-fortable couch, the flatscreen television.

“When you’re at the coffee shop, there’s pretty much nothing you can do but work,” Bacon said.

Few of the students in attendance indicated that they wanted to be writers or journalists for a living when Bacon asked.

Now, more than ever, journalism and writing are uncertain career paths. Even when Bacon decided to break into the business, in the 1990s, he gave him-self a three-year window to either find success or move on, the same time it would’ve taken if he had stuck with law school.

The hard partBut what do you do when

you’ve finally got a writing assignment, perhaps cover-ing the Michigan football program?

Bacon recommended the use of both first-person writing and participatory journalism, and used both in “Three and Out” when he spent six weeks work-ing out under the aegis of then-U of M strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis.

So grueling were the workouts that Bacon’s body suffered hypertrophy, which Barwis describes in

the book as similar to a car accident. But when Bacon’s

pulse got back to normal, he found that his sweat paid off.

“Puking in that trash can was one of the best things I ever did,” Bacon said.

He said it changed the way players viewed him. No longer

was Bacon perceived as just another journalist taking notes; he was now one of the guys.

“You’ll notice my inter-views got better after I did that,” Bacon said.

The workouts helped Bacon gain respect with the team, but what made it work as a story, Bacon said, is the gap between the expected result (Bacon had coached hockey at Huron High School, worked out regularly, and thought him-self in good shape before doing Barwis’s workouts) and the outcome (Bacon left so sore that to shampoo his hair, he had to squeeze the bottle and hope its contents landed on his head, because he couldn’t lift his arms that high). Writers call this irony.

Bacon said that writers have a choice. They can be the experts and write with authority, or they can be jerks who have plenty to learn. Bacon said he’s consistently chosen the jerk route, ever since his first published piece in Automotive Magazine on his lack of proficiency with

automobiles.Author Tom Wolfe (“The

Right Stuff”) has said that one of the reasons he wore white suits when reporting, aside from the fashion state-ment, is that people tended to treat him like a man from Mars. They would let their guard down and become more talkative. Many a suc-cessful writer has gotten mileage from the technique.

Bacon’s writing influ-ences include authors such as Buzz Bissinger (“Friday Night Lights”) and John Feinstein, an access journalist whose book on Bob Knight, “A Season on the Brink,” Bacon studied before writing “Three and Out.”

In another piece of advice that Wolfe would have approved of, Bacon advised that reporting is more important than writing. Wolfe once said that a writer’s skill was only about one-third of the formula needed to success. The rest comes from having worthwhile material. Wolfe said that if every writer has one great story in them, their own, the only way they’ll grow is by reporting and telling other people’s stories.

Bacon paraphrased Kurt Vonnegut (“Breakfast of Champions”) to explain how reporting sets writers apart: Plenty of people can write better than I can, but they have less to say.

When he’s not writing books, Bacon is one of the more popular instructors at U of M and performs public speaking. His class on the

history of college athletics is so well-respected that Bacon was given the Golden Apple Award in 2009, an honor bestowed each year to one of the most beloved educators at U of M.

As a college instruc-tor, Bacon knows a first draft when he sees one and warned the students against submitting them. When one comes across his desk, he’ll slide it back to the author, unread, and say that he would rather wait to read the real version. That’s not a luxury writers have in the real world, where slop-py copy is often rejected, often without explanation.

Despite having mil-lions of words under his belt by now, Bacon still writes multiple drafts of his books, heeding Ernest Hemingway’s admonition that the first draft of any-thing is (a word unprintable in a family newspaper).

On March 13 Bacon had a chapter due for the paper-back edition of “Three and Out.” The first draft came in at about 14,000 words. By the time Bacon submit-ted it to the publisher, he expected the final piece would be about 3,000 words. “Three and Out” took eight or nine drafts to get right and “Bo’s Lasting Lessons” took at least 7 — three writ-ten before Bacon had har-nessed Bo’s voice, all writ-ten after Bo had passed.

Writing, Bacon explained, is rewriting.

Staff Writer James David Dickson can be reached at [email protected].

Author John U. Bacon on battling the blank pageBacon says: ‘Write because you have to’

of parcels went from 8,000 in 1999, to 9,000 in 2004 and then to 10,000 in 2006. After that, the number held at or about 11,000 until recently.

“Last year was either stable or just a small drop and that couldn’t been a fluke or it could have been something that was not denoting a trend,” McClary said. “But I was really hoping to see a drop this year in parcel count and in dollar amount, because I do believe that we’ve set a trend with a lot of the other informa-tion we’re seeing in the economy.”

McClary is also involved in the county’s tax and mortgage foreclosure pre-vention programs, which afford her access to those and other numbers that measure conditions in the county.

In 2006, there are 703 bank foreclosures handled by the Washtenaw County Sheriff ’s Office, with the figure leaping to 1,151 in 2007 and again in 2008 to 1,439. That troubling number fell to 1,196 the following year, but only because a law was passed giving homeowners a 90-day window to renegotiate their mortgage. In 2010, the upward spike resumed with 1,399 foreclosures before a drop to 1,129 came last year.

“Michigan passed a law saying you were allowed 90 days to negotiate with the mortgage company ... it didn’t stop or drop foreclo-sures, it just put a three-month buffer in there,” McClary said. “I believe that the drop last year was

solely due to the fact that so many banks had put moratoriums on mortgage foreclosures because of all of the fraud and illegal activities in other states.”

This past January and February, year-over-year, the foreclosure number is down to 167 from 203, which McClary feels is a good indicator of where the trend will continue once 2012 is on the books.

Tax foreclosures are a separate issue. For 2004 and prior tax years, McClary averaged 12 fore-closures each year. For 2006 tax delinquencies, which were foreclosed upon in 2009, there were 45 foreclosures.

The 2007 foreclosures shot up to 400 cases in 2010. In 2011, about 600 tax foreclosures were pro-cessed from the 2008 rolls. This year’s figure for 2009 tax foreclosures is back down to 400 cases.

McClary said that she’s happy to see the figures turn in a favorable direc-tion, since she and many other county officials and figures with local banks have worked hard to stabi-lize the county in the wake of the financial collapse of 2008.

“The mortgage foreclo-sure (situation) has had three phases throughout the 2000s: the first phase from 2004 to 2007 was the phase that it really came to prominence, the preda-tory loans were really in our neighborhoods ... those loans were easy to mitigate since you could do a modification to turn a 13 percent (adjustable rate) to a 3 percent fixed rate,” McClary said. “The second wave of mortgage foreclo-sures were middle class, middle income people

who had a primary mort-gage when they got (their house) and then they lost their job and there’s nothing to mitigate. You can’t go to the mortgage company and say make my mortgage lower and inter-est rate lower.

“That’s when we had the most difficulty.”

Prior to that, her pro-grams had a 50 percent save rate when coming in to work with a homeowner facing bank foreclosure.

“That’s when the great recession really became apparent and what hap-pened is a cycle developed so you have people who have lost their jobs and can’t make their mortgage payments get foreclosed upon, the foreclosed prop-erty goes on the market at the bargain basement prices, and the value of the properties drops.”

From there, folks who were underwater on their mortgage began walking away from the properties, letting them fall into the hands of large national banks, which in turn have walked and in some cases are still walking away from the tax obligations attached to those proper-ties that underwater bor-rowers lost to them in the first place.

“It’s called strategic default in the case of banks ... now the banks are looking at whether or not they want to pay the taxes and keep this prop-erty.”

McClary added that last year when she had 637 properties in foreclosure for non-payment of taxes, 632 of those were from banks, which refused to pay.

“Our local banks have really gone to bat — Bank

of Ann Arbor, Michigan Commerce and University Bank,” she said.

Staff Writer Sean Dalton may be reached at 734-

429-7380, [email protected] or on Twitter @seankdalton. Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to

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TAXESFROM PAGE 4-A


Saving $3,000 a year may not be as hard as you think.

According to data from the SouthEastMichiganCouncilOfGovernments, (www.semcog.org) SEMCOG, that is the amount saved by members of MiRideshare (https://mirideshare.org/en-US/default.aspx) a

free carpool and vanpool matching service available throughout the state.

Created in 1980, the program was a result of the 1970s fuel crisis when gas prices drastically increased.

“It had stuck around as a great solution to help com-munities save money going to and from work,” said Iris Steinberg, spokesperson for SEMCOG.

In February, the program saved more than 1 million miles of travel, resulting in fuel savings as well as a savings of more than 1 mil-

lion pounds of carbon diox-ide due to fewer vehicles on the road.

For just one month, that is equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide emissions from more than 90 vehicles or from 1,084 barrels of oil consumed, according to a press release.

Steinberg said there has been a steady increase of members through the past few years.

According to Steinberg, there were 7,336 MiRideshare members in February of this year as compared to 6,082 in

February 2011.Saving mileage on

vehicles is also encouraged by many insurance compa-nies, which offer discount-ed rates for low mileage.

Recently, more people are turning to the ride share program as to a way to combat high gas prices.

“Saving money is always on people’s minds,” she said.

People are also interested in doing more things that are Earth friendly and to live a greener lifestyle, she said.

In regard to safety con-

cerns, SEMCOG considers itself a matching service but does offer some pooling pointers for people to look at before begin.

Some of those include meeting in a public place and asking for identifica-tion at the first meeting.

Other general hints include discussing whether the trip will be strictly a work commute or if errands will be allowed and deciding how long the pool will wait for latecomers.

MiBikematch (https://mirideshare.org/en-US/Bikebuddies.aspx) is also

available in the southeast-ern Michigan region for those who want to bike to work but do not want to ride alone.

Those interested can sign up at the MiBikematch website and fill out a brief profile. Afterward, the user will receive a list of indi-viduals who work and live nearby who are also part of the program. The indi-viduals then make arrange-ments on where to meet, compensation for fuel, etc.

Staff Writer Amy Bell can be reached at 429-7380 or [email protected].

MiRideshare helps commuters save moneyProgram saved million miles of travel

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By Ben BairdHeritage Media

An accident involv-ing at least two vehicles occurred March 21 at North Huron River Drive and Superior Road near Eastern Michigan University.

The accident involved a green Ford Mercury and an orange Ford Edge, both of which had some front-end damage.

Two Huron Valley

ambulances were at the scene.

The accident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Washtenaw County Sheriff ’s Office.

Brett Thurmond, a photography student of Washtenaw Community College, happened upon the scene of the accident while on his way home and he stopped to take some photos.

It had already occurred and emergency respond-

ers were already on scene before he arrived.



Photo courtesy of Brett Thurmond

An accident involving two vehicles occurred at about 3 p.m. Wednesday at North Huron River Drive and Superior Road near Eastern Michigan University.

Man held in teen’s shooting; bond at $200,000By Ben BairdHeritage Media

Marcus Tyree-Lashawn Walker, a 23-year-old Ypsilanti Township man, was charged March 20 for shooting a 15-year-old Ypsilanti boy in the neck March 11.

He is being held in Washtenaw County Jail on a $200,000 cash bond. He is facing five felony charges. Among them is assault with intent to commit murder, which has a potential sen-tence of life in prison.

The other charges include assault with intent to do great bodily harm, assault with a dangerous weapon, weapons felony firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to 14A District Court, Walker was sched-uled to go to court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday for a prelimi-nary examination on these charges.

Detective Sgt. Troy Fulton, Ypsilanti Police Department, said Walker was arrested at about 3 a.m. March 19 by Eastern Michigan University police during an unrelated traf-fic stop. He said Walker, a backseat passenger of the stopped vehicle, was identi-fied and arrested.

The teenager Walker allegedly shot has been released from the hospital.

“He’s recovering, which is amazing,” Fulton said.

The bullet went right through the teenager’s neck and nicked an artery, Fulton said, which brings the potential of bleeding out quickly. Fortunately he pulled through and will now be OK, Fulton said.

Ypsilanti police and Crime Stoppers of Michigan released wanted posters last week of Walker after he was identified as a suspect for the shooting.

At about 8:50 p.m. March 11, the suspect allegedly shot the teenager while in the 600 block of Armstrong Drive, according to Ypsilanti police. Officers received a report of a shooting and were dispatched to the loca-tion. The victim, who had a single gunshot wound to the neck, was located.

He was alert and relayed information to officers about the suspect, who had fled the area. The teen-ager was transported to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital for treatment and was reported in stable condition one day after the shooting.



Driver hurt in crash near EMU

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KIDS’ VIEWThursday, March 29, 2012Page 1-B www.heritage.com

ACROSS 4. Born opened fi rst candy store here. 6. First known place that used marshmallow

roots. 9. Twenty eight in each Peep.11. Peeps are created on a bed of _______.12. Peeps have their own _______.14. Candy maker who came from Russia.15. Candy that Mr. Born invented sticks for.16. Known for their jellybean production.18. Replaced root juice.19. Building in Bethlehem, PA that became a

candy factory.

DOWN 1. The marshmallow’s fi rst use was for

_______ _______. 2. Number one non-chocolate Easter candy. 3. 70 ______ Peeps to go from coast to coast. 5. Sugar is scattered in there. 7. Born was given keys to what city? 8. Favorite color of Peeps.10. Name of company created by Sam Born.13. Peeps get a sugar _______.17. Fowl on this page other than a chick. SOLUTION

ACROSS 4. New York

City 6. Egypt 9. Calories11. Sugar12. Website14. Sam Born15. Lollipops16. Rodda

Candy18. Gelatin19. Printing

factory

DOWN 1. Sore throats 2. Peeps 3. Million 5. Wind tunnel 7. San

Francisco 8. Yellow10. Just Born13. Shower17. Duck

1 2 3

4 5

6

7 8

9

10

11

12 13

14

15

16 17

18

19

��

4. Born opened first candy store here.

6. First known place that used

marshmallow roots.

9. Twenty eight in each Peep.

11. Peeps are created on a bed of

_______.

12. Peeps have their own _________.

14. Candy maker who came from Russia.

15. Candy that Mr. Born invented a stick

for.

16. Known for their jellybean production.

18. Replaced root juice.

19. Building in Bethlehem, PA that

became a candy factory.

��

1. The marshmallow’s first use was for

_____________.

2. Number one non-chocolate Easter

candy.

3. 70 ______ to go from coast to coast.

5. Sugar is scattered in there.

7. Born was given keys to what city?

8. Favorite color of Peeps.

10. Name of company created by Sam

Born.

13. Peeps get a sugar _______.

17. Fowl on this page other than a chick.

Across: Down:

4. NewYorkCity 16. RoddaCandy 1. SoreThroats 13. Shower

6. Egypt 18. Gelatin 2. Peeps 17. Duck

9. Calories 19. PrintingFactory 3. Million

11. Sugar 5. WindTunnel

12. Website 7. SanFrancisco

TODAY’S CROSSWORD PUZZLE

A sure sign of

Gramma Tootie’s

Peep Cake1 box lemon cake mix, along with

the ingredients needed to prepare the cake mix

1 can of lemon frostingSeveral yellow chick Peeps

Mix cake according to directions. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake according to directions with help from an adult.

Once cake is cooled, frost with the entire can of frosting. Place Peeps

in rows so that, once cut, each piece of cake will

have its own Peep.

APRIL CALENDAR CORNER��

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April Fools’

Day

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Be Kind to

Spiders

Week

�

Tweed Day

�

World Rat

Day

�

Rubber

Eraser Day

�

Prevention

of Animal

Cruelty

Month

�

No

Housework

Day

�

Happy

Easter!

�

First Public

Library

Opened

��

Golfers’

Day

��

Dandelion

Day

��

Walk on the

Wild Side

Day

��

National

Frog Month

��

National

Pecan Day

��

Titanic Sank

1912

��

High Five

Day

��

Daffy Duck

1937

��

International

Jugglers’

Day

��

Hang Out

Day

��

National

Week of the

Ocean

��

Webster’s

Dictionary

Published

1828

��

National

Jellybean

Day

��

Talk Like

Shakespeare

Day

��

Plumbers’

Day

��

Hubble

Telescope

Sent into

Orbit

��

Take Your

Daughters

and Sons to

Work Day

��

Morse Code

Day

��

National

Blueberry

Pie Day

��

Zipper Day

��

National

Honesty

Day

��

Easter Trivia• 76 percent of Americans admit to eating the ears off their

chocolate bunnies fi rst, followed by fi ve percent who go for the feet, and four percent who prefer the tail.

• Adults chose milk chocolate bunnies over dark chocolate ones.• Of those same adults, 86 percent voted for chocolate bunnies

on Easter morning over live bunnies.• 16 billion jellybeans are made just for Easter. That

is enough jellybeans to fi ll a plastic egg the size of a nine-story building.

• Kids’ favorite is the red jellybean.• For extra Easter candy, 75 percent

of children are willing to do extra chores around the house.• 57 percent of American

children get up extra early on Easter morning.

• 80 percent of parents continue the tradition of helping the Easter bunny with baskets.• Germany is given the honor of having the fi rst chocolate Easter eggs, which remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.• Solid bunnies are the top choice over hollow

and marshmallow fi lled bunnies.

• After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy-con-

suming holiday in America.• According to the Guinness

Book of World Records, the largest Easter egg was 25 feet

high and made of chocolate and marshmallow. It weighed 8,968 pounds.

Laborious, painstaking, and sticky. One by one they were created, each designed, hand-crafted, coated and decorated, taking up to 24 hours to

create. Well, that is until 1948 when Alex Doumak devised a recipe that changed the world of marshmallows as we know it. What? Confused? OK — let’s back up.

The number one Easter non-chocolate candy is the Peep. Yep, that marshmallow, sugar coated chick or bunny that we con-sume enough of to go around the earth two times at Easter alone.

Marshmallows started in Egypt where the juice was taken from the root of the marshmallow plant — so named because the plants were found along the banks of salt marshes and larger bodies of water. This juice was mixed with eggs and sugar, then whipped and allowed to harden. It was prescribed to sooth sore throats in children. However, in the mid-1800’s the juice from the marshmallow roots was replaced with gelatin. Today gelatin, corn syrup and/or sugar, gum Arabic, and flavoring are the ingredients in marshmallows.

Adding flavors made for a sweet confec-tion enjoyed by all. First whipped together, the ingredients are soft and pliable. Once placed in a pastry tube the original chick shape was piped, coated in colored sugar and allowed to dry for 24 hours.

It was Sam Born, a young man from Russia who was given the keys to the city of San Francisco for inventing a machine that inserted sticks into lollipops, who is credited with the manufacturing of the Peep. Mr. Born opened his first candy shop in New York City in 1917, and by 1923 started his own manu-facturing company called Just Born. In 1932 Just Born moved to Bethlehem, PA into an empty printing factory. Mr. Born’s company grew and grew as he acquired other candy companies, and introduced new lines of candy such as Mike & Ike and Hot Tamales.

Rodda Candy of Lancaster, PA, known for its jelly bean production and small marsh-mallow product line, became part of the Just Born family in 1953. The three dimen-sional chick was part of that marshmallow line. Sam Born’s son Bob helped to create

a machine that produced multiple marshmallow chicks at one time. The marshmal-low “slurry” flows through tubes with quick stops, and moves on a bed of col-ored sugar when a chick is born. The marshmallow chick continues on his bed of sugar into a wind tunnel where the colored sugar is blown, covering each chick. Eyes are added to chicks after they have received their sugar shower.

Peeps have taken on other shapes over the years — bunnies, pumpkins, Christmas trees, snowmen, stars, footballs, eggs, ghost, teddy bears and yes, even giant bunnies.

Favorite Peep colors are yellow, followed by pink, lavender and blue. Other colors are orange, green, purple, red and white.

Peeps also come chocolate covered, and with just their feet covered with chocolate and sprinkles.

So whether you eat your Peeps fresh, stale, frozen or chocolate-covered, remember:

• It would take 172 million Peep bunnies to circle the moon.

• Peeps have become a favorite to dip in fondue.

• Peeps have their own website.• It would take 70 million Peeps beak to tail

to go coast to coast in the United States.• Each Peep has 28 calories and zero

grams of fat.• Peeps have their own sing-a-long CD.• Peeps are now available to over 1.5 billion

people around the world.Once you see Peeps in the stores for

Easter, you know spring is on its way.

54 2 5 S c i o Chu r c h Road Ann A rbo r , M I 48 1 0 3 www .eme r son - s c hoo l . o r g

Your Child’s Bright Summer Begins Here!

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ENTERTAINMENTThursday, March 29, 2012Page 2-B www.heritage.com

The performers kept filing into the Chelsea First United Methodist Church

on Park Street earlier this month to audition for the annual Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights. The popu-lar summer event is one of those unique happenings that helps make Chelsea a destination for artists of all shapes, sizes and styles.

Musical artists from across Michigan converged on Chelsea to show off their goods and see if they could fill one of the Thursday night slots.

While acts are paid, the real attraction to playing at Sounds & Sights is to be seen by a large number of people and to be part of this truly special event. The money most likely will be gone in a hurry, but the memories of playing this showcase event will never be spent.

“It was a fun evening and we had a very diverse group of performers,” said Lisa Park, coordinator of the Chelsea Festivals for the Chelsea Center for the Arts.

It sure was fun. And filled with outstanding perform-ers.

Chelsea’s Rick Taylor, a local Realtor, was having a blast as one of the volunteer judges. He couldn’t get over how good everyone was and the wide variety of musi-cal talent he was hearing. A group of three judges was positioned at the three different stages and many would walk over and listen to the other acts playing even when they weren’t judging.

Taylor, like all the other judges, was smiling with joy all night long — the music wasn’t the only thing bounc-ing off these walls. There wasn’t one act that didn’t raise the roof.

“This year’s lineup will be a lot of very good, diverse artists from a steel drum group to square dancing to some great jazz and blues and also a great ’60s’s group,” said Craig Common, one of the founders and organizers of Sounds & Sights. “This will be our best lineup to date.”

The popularity of the event continues to spread across the state, drawing more acts. Each year seems to bring more variety and more incredible performers.

There were 27 live acts during the recent auditions. The committee also received an additional 41 online applications from perform-ers who previously submit-ted audition materials via email or CD submission.

Groups from Manchester, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Saline were among those performing for the judges.

Contact Terry Jacoby at [email protected].

See video of local performers, including Spin Cycle, The 42s and Five Miles More, from the recent

Sounds & Sights auditions at www.heritage.com

TERRY JACOBY

Auditions in tune with another big summer for Chelsea

ABOVE: Chelsea students Mikhoula & Will. LEFT: Tim Berla on stand-up bass and Isosceles.BELOW: Chelsea’s Spin Cycle play a Beatles song.

Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights kicks off June 7 and runs for 11 weeks through Aug. 16. An open mic stage also will be part of the fun and acts inter-ested in playing are asked to email [email protected] for more information. Volunteering their time to help with recent auditions were Craig Common, Gary Munce, Bob Pierce, Kyle Bingham, Sandy Gasiewski, Judy Gallagher, Lisa Baylis Gonzalez, Johnny Mitchell, Todd Ortbring, Rick Taylor, Anna Cangialosi and Stefanie Dever.

Auditions for Sounds & Sights

rock Chelsea

ABOVE: Katie and Andrew perform at the recent auditions. LEFT: Judges talk things over in between performances. BELOW: Lisa Park watches local band ‘The View.’

Photos by Terry Jacoby

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 ★ PAGE 3-Bwww.heritage.com

Andrea Brown-Harrison, a Pittsfield Township trustee, has joined the field of Democratic candidates vying to represent the 55th State House District.

Because of redistricting, the 55th District is now comprised of Pittsfield Township, Ann Arbor Township, York Township, Augusta Township and the northern part of the city of Ann Arbor.

She is a former commu-nications adviser for the Michigan Senate, former media coordinator for a U.S. Senate campaign and former television news writer at WXYZ-TV 7 and WDIV-TV 4.

A graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in political science, she is pursuing a master’s degree in teaching at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Brown-Harrison, 47, has teaching experience in Ann Arbor Public Schools, Milan Public Schools and Willow Run Community Schools, and has worked in the Ypsilanti Public Schools, where she was a member of the Michigan Education Association.

She said those experi-ences fueled her passion for ensuring teachers, parents and students have a strong advocate in Lansing.

“Being in the classroom and seeing firsthand the dedication of teachers and the commitment so many have to providing children with a quality education, despite the challenges of funding, is one of the rea-sons I’m joining this race,” Brown-Harrison said in a news release.

“Once you have worked in a classroom and seen the joy and pride of accom-plishment on children’s faces, as they learn a new concept they once strug-gled with, it gives you hope of what is possible. When teachers have the resourc-es they need, students have more opportunities to be successful. I want to fight for teachers to have that chance.”

Brown-Harrison said one reason she is focused on education that she comes from a family of teachers. One of her uncles

was a principal, and two uncles were teachers. Her sister is an adjunct profes-sor of computer science at the University of Michiga-

Flint. Brown-Harrison

said she is on the side of labor, since she can remem-ber, growing up in a home where family members were autoworkers and members of the UAW.

“When I hear stories about autoworkers and labor, for me, they are more than just stories,” she said.

“I think about the people behind each story, because they are like people I know and care about. They are like my family. I know their struggles and con-cerns firsthand, and they matter to me.”

Brown-Harrison said that finding “innovative ways to create 21st century jobs that will grow our economy” was a top prior-ity.

“Yet, while we look to the future, the threat to col-lective bargaining rights is pervasive and must be challenged,” she said.

“Previous generations fought too hard to win them, even in the face of impending danger, from those who wanted to impede progress. Collective bargaining rights led to the creation of the middle class. I will work to repeal deci-sions and legislation that threaten the collective bar-gaining rights of Michigan workers.”

She added that she believes Michigan needs to increase funding to help reduce college students’ costs, so that they do not graduate with tens of thou-sands of dollars of debt.

Brown-Harrison said she values the preserving green spaces for future generations.

“I enjoyed being a Pittsfield Township parks commissioner, prior to being elected a trustee. As a child, I spent time with family enjoying outdoor activities, like walking and biking in the park in summer and sledding in winter,” Brown-Harrison said.

“We want our children and their families to enjoy the outdoors long after we are gone. So, we will work to be good caretakers of

our lakes, streams, trees and other green spaces.”

Families throughout Michigan have been hard hit by the economic downturn for more than a decade, and especially the crisis of the past few years.

Widespread job losses have led to record levels of home foreclosures, which have forced parents and children out of their homes and some into homeless shelters.

“I will work to imple-ment policies that will help prevent this from happen-ing,” Brown-Harrison said.

Brown-Harrison also described herself as an advocate for women’s rights.

“I don’t want to see the hard fought gains made over decades of struggle turned back.”

Brown-Harrison said she would also like to support efforts to improve the local transit system and shape future transportation in the region.

For 18 years, Brown-Harrison has been married to Ira Harrison, who is an Ann Arbor firefighter and union member.

They have two children. Their son attends Huron High school.

Brown-Harrison said she is inspired by the words of President Barack Obama, who said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

For more information about Brown-Harrison and her campaign, call 680-9936 or email her at [email protected].

Digital First Media on March 15 announced the appointment of Brian Georgi as vice president for national digital sales effective immediately.

Digital First Media is headquartered in New York City, and jointly man-ages MediaNews Group and Journal Register Co., the parent company of Heritage Media.

Digital First Media reaches 57 million Americans each month through more than 800 multi-platform products across 18 states.

In his new role, Georgi will be responsible for national sales on all the company’s Web, mobile and social network sites, reaching 42 million online visitors and ranked among the top 10 U.S. newspaper destinations.

Georgi was most recently the vice president of sales at two digital start-ups: Touchtunes, the largest digital out-of-home music network in the United States, and rcrdlbl.com, which delivers free MP3s. Prior to that, Georgi was an account director at Rolling Stone magazine.

“We’re very happy to have Brian’s expertise at Digital First Media,” said Kirk MacDonald, executive vice president of advertising for Digital First Media, in a news

release.“He has deep relation-

ships in the industry and knows how to deliver results in a highly com-petitive marketplace using innovation to bring our national audience to advertisers.”

Georgi will be based in New York City, reporting to Ray Chelstowski, senior vice president of national sales.

He lives in Westchester County, N.Y., with his wife and children.

WinternestersThe annual Winternester program, put together in partnership with the Saline District Library and Saline Senior Center, recently concluded with a drawing of prizes. There were 21 participants this year. Prize winners were Bill Adair, Nancy Adair, Sue Bemis, Betty Deinzger, Jacki Saunders and Ron Williams. Prizes included a box of treats from Great Harvest Bread Co., flowers, hot cocoa and cup set, a bag of books, two cast iron pans with cookie mix, dip bowl with serving spoon, and a basket filled with treats.

Andrea Brown-Harrison joins 55th District State House race

Digital First Media: Georgi, VP of national digital sales

Brown-Harrison, 47, has teaching

experience in Ann Arbor Public Schools, Milan

schools and Willow Run Community

Schools, and has worked in the

Ypsilanti Public Schools.

Brown-Harrison

Follow us on Twitter

twitter.com/HeritageNews

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B ★ THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012www.heritage.com

The public is invited to a fundraiser hosted by the Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Ann Arbor Big Boy Restaurant, 3611 Plymouth Road, near US 23. There will be entertainment from YYO ensembles and mentors, as well as “Celebrity Servers.”

The Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that offers ensembles, begin-

ning and immediate strings classes, sectionals and a full orchestra for area youth to participate in. There are a number of mentors and coaches who donate their ser-vices each week, including University of Michigan, School of Music students.

The YYO is totally funded by monetary and in-kind donations, as well as grants from individu-als, businesses and foun-

dations. There is no cost to join the orchestra, and instruments are loaned free of charge to students. All performances are free to the public. Donations are welcomed.

The YYO Spring Concert is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, May 6 at Ypsilanti Middle School, 105 N. Mansfield. Additional information is available at www.ypsiy-outhorch.com.

Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra holding April fundraiser

Keep up with all the latest happenings around Ypsilanti!

www.facebook.com/ BellevilleandYpsilanti

http://twitter.com/ YpsiCourier

4B4B

MAKEGUESTSHAPPY

Wouldn’t you like a job that fulfills you both professionally and personally? WithMonster’s new filtering tools, you can quickly hone in on the job that’s right for you.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 ★ PAGE 5-Bwww.heritage.com

‘21 Jump Street’ is surprisingly fun, fresh

When good high school movies are made, it’s an occasion rare enough to warrant high praise and attention.

Ditto that for buddy-cop movies.

But when both of these are pulled off without a hitch while also reviving a long-irrelevant 1980s TV program, it just makes for good entertainment.

“21 Jump Street” is a shot of adrenaline into three or four differ-ent genres, freshening established formulas by acknowledging their camp and then cranking up their goofiness.

An update on the show that gave Johnny Depp his career, “21 Jump Street” takes things in a decidedly comedic direction.

Schmidt and Jenko, played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, went through high-school labeled as the fat nerd and dumb jock, making their partnership in their police academy all the more shocking.

Schmidt’s got the brains and Jenko the brawn, and their unlikely dynamic lands the two in an under-cover operation dubbed “Jump Street.”

In essence, the two are sent back to high school to infiltrate the “popular kids” and shut down pro-duction of a new synthetic drug spreading throughout the school.

In an unlikely twist of stereotypes, though, Schmidt ends up with the popular kids and Jenko with the nerds, forcing them to re-think both their roles in the operation and as friends, in general.

The movie “21 Jump Street” seems to be full of little twists like this, ones that play with our expecta-tions while sticking with the general structure we expect.

This sort of formula-tinkering affects every aspect of “21 Jump Street,” starting with the two leads, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.

It goes without saying that these two are absolute dynamite together, with the sort of expert timing and dead-panning audi-ences came to expect of the silent era.

Perhaps most important is that the two have an adorable “bromance,” one that the audience roots for at all times and against all odds. But the two are not afraid to tinker with their public personas, Tatum in particular really poking fun at the dumb, raw mas-culine image he’s built up for himself.

Both leads really re-define their skill palate, with Tatum demonstrat-ing comedic chops and Hill a tremendous writing skill (co-writing the script with “Project X”/”Scott Pilgrim” vet Michael Bacall).

I admired the tremen-dous energy the crew brought to the picture. There’s a sort of goofy, happy-go-lucky tone to the humor here that makes it feel a lot more spontaneous and in the moment — in other words, more believ-able.

The care taken to develop the side-characters is appreciated, from Ice Cube’s foul-mouthed, black sergeant who frequently brings up how foul-mouthed and black he is, to Brie Larson as the plucky romantic interest for Hill’s character, and Dave Franco as the cocky, pretentious popular kid whose illegal product sets the plot into

motion.Dave is every ounce as

charming and talented as his brother, James, by the way.

The film also sports a killer celebrity cameo, the less of which I reveal the better.

The action in this film is surprisingly confident, a memorable middle-act highway chase stimulat-ing both laughter and adrenaline.

What surprised me a bit was the sloppiness of editing at points. It’s fairly obvious that a

wealth of material has been left out of the final cut, leaving unexplained beats where character-

driven moments should have been, leaving pauses in lieu of comedy.

The script seemed fairly tight in its vision, so perhaps directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are at fault here.

But no matter. They’ve crafted an energetic, fresh vision out of many parts stale and formulaic, with as many belly-laughs per minute as I can recall in a while.

I give it a “B+” rating.

Film critic Ryan Michaels, a sophomore at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor and two-time winner of the Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest, can be reached through [email protected]. All his reviews are on his website, http://ryanthe-moviecritic.com/.

MOVIE REVIEW

RYAN MICHAELS

The action in this film is surprisingly confident, a memorable middle-act

highway chase stimulating both laughter and adrenaline.

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COMMUNITY CALENDARTHIS WEEK

■ Ypsilanti community presentation/forum: The city of Ypsilanti is hosting a community presentation/forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the proposed city income tax and Water Street debt millage at the Eastern Michigan University Autism Collaborative Center (for-merly Fletcher School), 1055 Cornell.

■ Computer giveaways: During the Ypsilanti High School parent-teacher con-ferences on Thursday, stu-dents have the opportunity to win a refurbished com-puter. Eastern Michigan University’s Business Side of Youth (The B-Side), working in conjunction with YHS and the Regional Career Technical Center’s Computer Systems pro-gram, will host drawings for 30 computers; 10 comput-ers will be given away dur-ing the 12-3 p.m. conferenc-es and 20 at the 5-8 p.m. session. The computer package will include all cords, a monitor, printer and keyboard plus a 30-day warranty. Comcast will also be on site to enroll eligible families in a low-cost Internet access program. Details: Aaron Rose 734-714-1004.

■ Bowling team fund-raiser: The Ypsilanti High School Bowling Team is hosting a fundraiser from 7-9 p.m. Friday at Colonial Lanes, 1950 Industrial Hwy. in Ann Arbor. The cost is $16 at the door, which includes pizza, unlimited soft drinks, two hours of bowling and bowling shoes. There will be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Do-nations of auction items are being accepted.

■ Music in the neigh-borhood: There will be a House Concert with George Bedard and Khalid Hanifi, at 8 p.m. Friday at Diane’s place, 9 North Wallace. RSVP and confirm seats to [email protected] or 734- 482-1527. There is room for about 30 people and the event is first come, first served until space is gone. Donations for the perform-ers will be taken at the door. Those without RSVP will be seated at show time as space.

■ Tigers game: The

Normal Park Neighborhood Association invites you to attend a Detroit Tigers game.We have arranged bus transportation and tick-ets for the game on Saturday, May 5, when the Tigers will take on the Chicago White Sox. Cost is $28 per person for a game ticket and transportation. Or, if baseball isn’t your thing, we’re offering bus-only seats for $16 per person, with drop-off in the Comerica Park area.

Registration and payment is due by Saturday and is first come, first serve.

■ Yard waste: The city of Ypsilanti will begin picking up yard waste beginning Monday.

■ “The Last Circus”: Eastern Michigan University’s Campus Life will hold a screening of “The Last Circus” at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Student Center Auditorium. This is a

free event and open to the public. No EMU-ID required.

COMING UP■ YPS students invited

to EMU Engineering event: The School of Engineering Technology at Eastern Michigan University will host an information night, 6 p.m. April 16 in room #2 of Sill Hall. The event will show-case the programs and opportunities offered by the School of Engineering Technology. The evening includes presentations, tours and refreshments. Participants must register by emailing [email protected] or call 734-487-2040.

■ Empty Bowls fill gap: The second annual Ypsilanti New Tech@Ardis Empty Bowls event is 5:30-7 p.m. April 19. Tickets for the event may be purchased at the door or in advance at seatyourself.biz/ypsd. Admission is either $5 for just the meal of soup and bread or for $10 patrons receive the meal plus a hand crafted bowl made by New Tech students. Proceeds from the event will benefit Growing Hope, a nonprofit organization locat-ed in Ypsilanti. Details: 734- 714-1501.

■ Get healthy: Ypsilanti High School’s Safe and Supportive Schools pro-

gram is hosting a “Spring Into Health” event that includes a health fair, Phoenix Run/Walk and Athletic Gear Sale, April 28 at the high school, 2095 Packard Road. There will be health screenings, insur-ance information, dental and vision care, fitness demonstrations and more. The Phoenix Run/Walk begins at 8 a.m. at the high school and the fair and gear sale begins at 9:30 a.m.

Flyers and registration forms are on the district web site, www.ypsd.org or contact Heather Herrick, [email protected] or (734) 714-1118.

■ Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra: In its season grand finale April 29, The Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with Dykema, will be team-ing up with The Henry Ford and the Sphinx Organization

to showcase violinist and Sphinx Laureate Gareth Johnson who will perform Tchaikovsky’s “D major Violin Concerto” on a rare 1709 Stradivari, part of The Henry Ford’s collection. Antonio Stradivari’s violins are revered for their exqui-site tone. The Henry Ford’s 1709 Stradivari is one of

several 17th and 18th cen-tury violins purchased by Henry Ford in the mid 1920s. As an amateur violin-ist, Ford would often play the instrument in his labora-tory for his own enjoyment.

7B7B

NOTICE OF INTENT TO EXECUTETAX-SUPPORTED CONTRACT AND OF RIGHT TO

PETITION FOR REFERENDUM THEREONTO THE TAXPAYERS AND ELECTORS OFTHE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF YPSILANTI,WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, the Charter Township of Ypsilanti (the “Local Unit”) has approved by resolution the execution of a contract (the “Contract”) with the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (the “Authority”) pursuant to Act No. 233, Public Acts of Michigan, 1955, as amended, which Contract provides, among other things, that the Authority will acquire, construct and install various water main and related improvements in the Local Unit, together with all necessary appurtenances and attachments thereto to service the Local Unit and will issue its bonds, in one or more series, in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $8,0000,000 to fi nance the cost of such improvements for the Local Unit AND THE LOCAL UNIT WILL PAY TO THE AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO THE CONTRACT THE SUMS NECESSARY TO RETIRE THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON SAID BONDS.

LOCAL UNIT’S CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS

It is presently contemplated that said bonds will be issued in one or more series in the aggregate principal amount of not to exceed $8,000,000, will mature serially over a period of not to exceed twenty-fi ve (25) years from the date of issuance of each series, and will bear interest at the rate or rates to be determined at the time of sale but in no event to exceed the maximum rate of interest per annum permitted by law on the balance of the bonds from time to time remaining unpaid. The Contract includes the Local Unit’s pledge of its limited tax full faith and credit for the prompt and timely payment of the Local Unit’s obligations as expressed in the Contract. THE LOCAL UNIT WILL BE REQUIRED TO LEVY AD VALOREM TAXES WITHIN APPLICABLE CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY TAX LIMITATIONS ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE LOCAL UNIT TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO MAKE THE PAYMENTS REQUIRED TO PAY PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS IF OTHER FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE ARE NOT AVAILABLE. IT IS THE PRESENT INTENT OF THE LOCAL UNIT TO USE THE REVENUES FROM THE TOWNSHIP DIVISION OF THE AUTHORITY’S SYSTEM TO MAKE THE PAYMENTS REQUIRED TO PAY PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS.

RIGHT OF REFERENDUM

The Contract will become effective and binding upon the Local Unit without vote of the electors as permitted by law unless a petition requesting an election on the question of the Local Unit entering into the Contract, signed by not less than 10% of the registered electors of the Local Unit, is fi led with the Township Clerk within forty-fi ve (45) days after publication of this notice. If such petition is fi led, the Contract cannot become effective without an approving vote of a majority of electors of the Local Unit qualifi ed to vote and voting on the question. The Contract is on fi le at the offi ce of the Township Clerk.

This notice is given pursuant to the requirements of Section 8 of Act No. 233, Public Acts of Michigan, 1955, as amended. Further information concerning the details of the Contract and the matters set out in this notice may be secured from the Township Clerk’s offi ce.

Karen Lovejoy RoeClerk, Charter Township of Ypsilanti

Publish March 29, 2012

CITY OF YPSILANTICOUNTY OF WASHTENAW,

STATE OF MICHIGANREVISED DATE

PUBLIC HEARING ON ESTABLISHMENT OF OBSOLETE PROPERTY REHABILITATION

DISTRICT PURSUANT TO PUBLICACT 146 OF 2000, AS AMENDED

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City Council of the City of

Ypsilanti, Michigan, will hold public hearings on Tuesday, the 17th day of April, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., prevailing Eastern Time in

the Meeting Room of the City Hall located at One South Huron

St., Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197 to consider the following:

Approval of a resolution

creating an Obsolete

Property Rehabilitation

District pursuant to

the Act for the area

currently defi ned

as DDA districts for

Downtown, West Cross

and Depot Town (see

map at right).

At the public

hearings, all interested

persons desiring to

address the City Council

shall be afforded an

opportunity to be heard

in regard to the issuance

of Certifi cates.

Further information

may be obtained from

the Planning and Development Department, which can be

reached at One South Huron Street, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197

or at (734) 483-9646 or [email protected].

Felicia Rutledge, Ypsilanti City ClerkPublish March 30, 2012

ELECTION NOTICE

TO: QUALIFIED ELECTORS OFTHE CITY OF YPSILANTI

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENTHAT A SPECIAL ELECTION

WILL BE HELD IN THE CITY OF YPSILANTI ON

TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2012From 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For the purpose of voting on the following proposals:

The Water Street Debt Millage Proposal.The complete text is on fi le at the Ypsilanti City Clerk’s Offi ce, One S. Huron St., Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Phone number (734) 483-1100.Or visit www.cityofypsilanti.com

The Adoption of a Uniform City Income Tax.The complete text is on fi le at the Ypsilanti City Clerk’s Offi ce, One S. Huron St., Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Phone number (734) 483-1100.Or visit www.cityofypsilanti.com

POLLING PLACES ARE LOCATED AS FOLLOWS and are accessible to voters with disabilities:

Ward 1, Precinct 1: Perry School, 550 Perry St.(Harriet St. at Hawkins St.)

Ward 1, Precinct 2: Senior Citizens Center, 1015 N. Congress St.(at Oakwood St.)

Ward 1, Precinct 3: East Middle School, 510 Emerick St.(Tyler Rd. and Emerick St.)

Ward 2, Precinct 1: Estabrook Elementary, 1555 W. Cross StreetWard 2, Precinct 2: Fletcher School, 1055 Cornell (at Ainsley St.)Ward 2, Precinct 3: Estabrook Elementary, 1555 W. Cross Street Ward 2, Precinct 4: Fletcher School, 1055 Cornell (at Ainsley St.)Ward 3, Precinct 1: Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 201 N. River St.Ward 3, Precinct 2: Adams School, 503 Oak St.

(N. Prospect Street at Oak St)Ward 3, Precinct 3: Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 201 N. River St.

Absentee Ballots are available at the City Clerk’s Offi ce located at1 South Huron Street, Ypsilanti, Michigan during the hours of 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday. Please feel free to call us at 734-483-1100 for further information.

In addition to normal hours the Ypsilanti City Clerk’s Offi ce will be open on Saturday, May 5. 2012 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for absent voter ballot requests.

Felicia Rutledge, Acting City ClerkPublish March 29, 2012

LEGAL NOTICETo the owners of subdivided lots and land, on streets or roads of common usage situated within the Charter Township of Ypsilanti:Notice is hereby given to all owners of above described properties in the Township of Ypsilanti that it is unlawful to cause or permit the growing of noxious weeds, grass or other vegetation upon such properties and that it is the duty of all owners of lands on which noxious weeds, grass or other vegetation are growing to destroy the same before they reach a seed bearing state, or attain a height of seven (7) inches or more as set forth in the Charter Township of Ypsilanti Code of Ordinances and the statutes of the State of Michigan. In other areas situated within close proximity to an occupied structure and when deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of citizens, such vegetation may be maintained at an average height of less than ten (10) inches. The commissioner may designate natural areas where such vegetation may be permitted to grow in excess of ten (10) inches without causing blight, creating a nuisance or compromising the safe and sanitary maintenance of nearby dwellings, commercial and industrial buildings. Notice is also hereby given that noxious weeds, grass or other vegetation, as described in the Charter Township of Ypsilanti Code of Ordinances which are not eradicated by June 1, 2012, will be eradicated by Ypsilanti Township Authorities, and the owner of the property will be charged with the cost of such operation, or operations, as are necessary to prevent the weeds, grass or other vegetation from perpetuating themselves or from becoming a detriment of public health. Land owners are further notifi ed that appropriate methods of treating and eradicating such noxious weeds, grass or other vegetation are: cutting and removal, mulching, or chemical treatment to destroy or inhibit growth. Notice is further given that the expenses incurred by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti in eradicating said weeds, grass or vegetation shall be paid by the owner of the property involved, and the Charter Township of Ypsilanti shall have lien against such property for such expenses. Notice is also hereby given that any landowner who shall refuse to destroy or eradicate such noxious weeds, grass or other vegetation upon their property shall be subject to a fi ne, in addition to the expenses of eradicating noxious weeds, grass or other vegetation.

Tammie Keen, Commissioner of Noxious WeedsPublish March 15 & 29, 2012

CITY OF YPSILANTINOTICE OF ADOPTED ORDINANCE

Ordinance No. 1170On March 20, 2012 the Ypsilanti City Council adopted an ordinance entitled, FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION.

The ordinance implements fl ood plain management measures for the City of Ypsilanti.

The complete ordinance can be reviewed in the City Clerk’s Offi ce,1 S. Huron Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.

For additional information contact the Clerk’s Offi ce at (734) 483-1100.

THE ABOVE ORDINANCE WAS MADE, PASSED, AND ADOPTED BY THE YPSILANTI CITY COUNCIL THIS 20th DAY OF March 20, 2012

Felicia Rutledge, Acting City ClerkAttest

I do hereby confi rm that the above Ordinance No. 1170 was published in the Ypsilanti Courier on the 29th day of March, 2012.

Felicia Rutledge, Acting City ClerkCERTIFICATE OF ADOPTING

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Ordinance passed at the regular meeting of the City Council held on the 20th day of March, 2012.

Felicia Rutledge, Acting City ClerkNotice Published: February 23, 2012First Reading: March 6, 2012Second Reading: March 20, 2012Published: March 29, 2012Effective Date: April 29, 2012


NOTICE OF PUBLICATION BY POSTINGSUPERIOR CHARTER TOWNSHIP

ORDINANCE No. 174-08Zoning Ordinance Amendment

Please take notice that the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 174-08, Hyundai America Center, Inc. (HATCI), Area Plan Amendment, was made at the regular meeting of the Superior Charter Township Board of Trustees at 5:00 p.m. on March 19, 2012 at the Superior Charter Township Hall located at 3040 N. Prospect Road, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. 174-08 amends the HATCI Area Plan, which was approved on October 1, 2003, by allowing for a 19,000 square foot, two story addition which will house an environmental test chamber; a 200 square foot expansion of a hazardous materials storage building; expanding the existing north side parking lot by an additional 65 parking spaces; and, adding a new 36,000 square foot electrical substation at the north west corner of the site. Publication of the Ordinance was made by posting in the Offi ce of the Clerk, 3040 N. Prospect, Ypsilanti, 48198, and on the Township website – www.superior-twp.org – pursuant to Section 8 of the Charter Township Act, being MCL 42.8, 3(b).

David M. Phillips, ClerkSuperior Charter Township

3040 N. ProspectYpsilanti, MI 48198

734-482-6099Publish March 29, 2012

PUBLIC NOTICELAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE

April 9, 20128:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

FORCITY OF YPSILANTI SPECIAL ELECTION

TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2012TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF City of Ypsilanti:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the city of Ypsilanti Acting City Clerk, Felicia Rutledge will be in her offi ce, located at Ypsilanti City Hall, One South Huron Street, Ypsilanti, Michigan, to register qualifi ed electors and amend the registration records on Monday, April 9, 2012 from8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

IF YOU HAVE MOVED RECENTLY YOU MUST AMEND YOUR REGISTRATION RECORD

If you have any questions regarding your voter registration or the upcoming election contact the City Clerk at (734) 483-1100.

Felicia Rutledge, Acting City ClerkPublish March 29, 2012

ATTENTIONTO ALL CITY OF YPSILANTI PROPERTY OWNERS

1. Grass and weeds may not be permitted to grow higher than 10 inches.2. Tree limbs and branches shall be maintained a minimum of 8 feet

above the sidewalks and public right-of-ways.3. Shrubs, bushes and fence lines shall be maintained in accordance

with the traffi c visibility ordinance, (ref. Sec 122-649).

If properties are not in compliance with Sections 110-81 and 122-649 of the Ypsilanti City Code on or after April 9, 2012, the City’s independent contractor will be hired to correct the violation, with all costs for services billed to the property owner. Further information may be obtained through the Ordinance Enforcement Division at (734) 482-1025.

Frances McMullanInterim City Manager


su|do|kusolutions

BEGINNER

INTERMEDIATE

CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF YPSILANTIORDINANCENO. 2012-423

At the Regular Meeting held on March 26, 2012, the Charter Township of Ypsilanti Board of Trustees approved Ordinance No. 2012-423, Amending the Code of Ordinances, Charter Township of Ypsilanti, Chapter 34, Article II Entitled Flood Damage Prevention. The proposed ordinance is available in the Clerk’s Offi ce and can be viewed on line at www.ytown.org. If you have any questions, please call (734) 484-4700.

Karen Lovejoy Roe, Clerk

Charter Township of Ypsilanti



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HIGH SCHOOL: FOOTBALL IN MARCH

SPORTSPage 1-C www.heritage.com Thursday, March 29, 2012

Heritage Sports on facebook and twitter

YPSILANTIYour local DAILY sports section

www.HERITAGE.com/sports

By Terry JacobyHeritage Media

When it comes to the recruit-ing process, most high

school athletes agree on one thing – they’re glad it’s over. Usually it’s because they’ve finally found a home for the next four years. A home where they feel they can succeed, achieve their goals and feel comfortable.

But another reason they’re glad it’s over, is because the process can be tiring, confusing and extremely stressful.

Dexter senior football player Tucker Whitley called the end of his recent recruiting road trip “bitter-sweet.”

“ It was tough and nerve-racking at times, but I know I will look back on it in a couple years and want to do it again,” said Whitley, the starting center for the Dreadnaughts the past two seasons. “This whole recruiting process has been nothing but exciting.” Whitley calls it “exciting” because every day is differ-ent, every trip unique, every situation special.

“When you are visiting you are always on your toes because you don’t know what to expect,” he said. “For example, I was in a position meeting at Central (Michigan) and coach Cummings was not getting an answer from his team so he asked if any of the recruits knew the answer. I raised my hand and answered it right, that felt so good.

“Even during high school hours you are on the edge of your seat because of the possibility of your teacher handing you a new letter from another school looking to recruit you.

“This whole recruiting process has been over-whelming in a positive way.” The first contact Whitley had in “the process” was from Paul Nichols, the recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach at

Recruiting: A Day in the LifeDexter senior offensive lineman Tucker Whitley

describes a typical day for a college football recruit. “Every visit started early in the morning with the ear-

liest being a start time of 6 a.m. on a 30-degree morning. We would arrive at the practice facility where a coach, usually the recruiting coach for southeastern Michigan, would greet me and take me to be weighed in and my height checked. After that, I was invited into my posi-tion meeting where I was able to be part of the offensive line meeting for that day.

“These meetings are always run by the offensive line coach. These meetings are awesome, especially the question-answer session that follows. The coaches always know if their players are paying attention.

“After the meeting ends it is usually time for the tour. The tour consists of me following the coach around while he shows me some of the school’s prized posses-sions, including all of the sports facilities.

“After that they usually show me around the campus and explain where I would live as a freshman on the football team. After the campus tour was over it was time to go to their practice, which really gets the juices flowing. Every practice was intense, and that’s what I wanted to see.

“After practice I would meet with my position coach and the head coach.”

Dexter’s Tucker Whitley was the anchor of the Dreads’ offensive line for the past two seasons.

Dexter’s Whitley calls college recruiting process ‘exciting and nerve-wracking’

Overwhelmingly positive

Meet TuckerName: Tucker Whitley School: Dexter Year: Senior Stats: No. 59, 6-foot-3, 290 pounds Position: Center College: Sienna Heights Major: Criminal justice

Toledo. “This happened about

three weeks after the 2010 season wrapped up,” he said. “Shortly after I was invited to the Best of the Midwest at the University of Michigan and then things really started to

branch off from there.”Whitley would end up

visiting the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, Eastern Michigan University, Western Michigan

University, Central Michigan University and Hope College.

All of these colleges invit-ed Whitley to a spring prac-tice and then followed up with an invitation to their one-day preferred recruiting camps.

“The first contact from a major college was an incred-ible feeling,” he said. “It made it seem like the end-less hours of work was now starting to pay off.” Part of a recruiting trip included meeting the team’s head coach.

“After attending a prac-tice I would meet with the position coach and the head coach,” he said. “This to me was the most important part of the visit because one of the things I was

PLEASE SEE RECRUIT/3-C

Tucker Whitley during his visit to Northwestern University in Chicago.

Mike FeldHeritage Media

Football fans were recently entertained to the annual rite of the 40-

yard dash, the shuttle run and the broad jump that help make up the spring’s scouting combine.

Only this combine featured athletes people can see in their own back-yards.

Nearly 700 high school football players gath-ered at the Total Sports Complex in Wixom on March 18 for the Michigan Preps combine.

The event gave football players in Michigan – and outside of the state – the chance to put their skills to the test and on paper for college scouts to see firsthand.

“A lot of other combines are much smaller and don’t give the ability to exposure,” combine direc-tor Jim Kielbaso said. “Kids realize how impor-tant the exposure is.”

Over a dozen local athletes participated in the event, including Saline’s Joey Zakrajsek, Tyler Palka and Matt Goeman, Milan’s Arthur Dukes and Blaine LeClair, Manchester’s Matthew Franz and Skyline’s Willie Elam.

The event started six years ago and was the brain child of a man named George Yerberry. A former scholarship athlete himself, Yerberry realized the difficulty of trying to get noticed by college scouts and wanted to help the process.

“He ended up getting to play college basketball, but he got lucky and got

noticed,” Kielbaso said. “A lot of kids don’t get lucky. He wanted to get kids noticed any way they can.”

The idea of the high school combine is nothing new – and its popularity is quickly growing.

“The growth has been steady,” Kielbaso said. “We had just under 700 kids this year. We had 600 last year and 500 the year before.”

There are several rea-sons why the idea of a high school combine has grown so rapidly. The Internet, the growth of college recruiting and the sport itself has evolved over the years.

It also doesn’t hurt that the NFL combine has become a television rating hit among sports fans.

“The NFL has turned the combine into a TV show in it of itself,” Kielbaso said. “The idea of testing has definitely become a much more important event of athlet-ics.”

The model Michigan Preps and Total Sports followed is very similar to that of the NFL’s version. It’s nothing new for Total Sports, as the venue hosted a college pro day previous to the high school event and had some of the NFL’s sharpest minds in the building to evaluate talent.

But for one day, Total Sports was able to give teenagers a similar feel to that of the players they watch work out before draft day.

Although college scouts are not allowed to attend due to NCAA rules, there was still little wiggle room in the stands. Fans lined up around the field and

Local HS athletes put to the test at football combine

“A LOT OF OTHER COMBINES ARE MUCH SMALLER AND DON’T GIVE THE ABILITY TO EXPOSURE. KIDS REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THE EXPOSURE IS.”Michigan Preps Combine Director Jim Kielbaso

Photos by Mike Feld

Football players work out for scouts in Wixom.

PLEASE SEE COMBINE/3-C

C THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012www.heritage.com

Barnes, a senior, was the area’s only wrestler to claim a regional title, winning his bracket at 140 pounds in Division 2. He took fourth place at the state finals.

Drew Barnes, Dexter

The senior was the area’s top individual finisher this season, taking third place at 145 pounds of Division 1. He finished the season 56-4.

Ed Nuttall, Lincoln

Bleise, a 119-pound Division 2 wrestler, finished his sophomore campaign with 30 wins and a second straight trip to the finals. He finished fourth.

Steve Bleise, Chelsea

Hamilton won 50 matches in his senior year and helped lead the Dutch to the Division 4 team state finals. Individually, he finished fifth at 215.

Austin Hamilton, Manchester

The Dexter senior went 37-7 in the 285-pound class of Division 2. He took fourth in regionals before traveling to The Palace to compete in the state finals.

Shawn Chamberlain, Dexter

The junior took second place in his 171-pound region-al match before moving on to place fifth in the state. He finished the year 44-7.

Mike Hovater, Chelsea

The junior finished 40-11 and was the Hornets’ lone state finals representative. It was O’Sullivan’s first trip to The Palace.

Nate O’ Sullivan, Saline

Gaskill finished 36-12 and finished in eighth place of the 160-pound weight class at Division 2. He was Milan’s only state qualifier.

Chris Gaskill, Milan

The sophomore went 42-11 and took third place at the 112-pound Division 2 regional, defeating Chelsea wres-tler Ben Doll.

Kyle Abdellatif, Ypsilanti

The sophomore went 33-14 in his second season and took the trip to The Palace of Auburn Hills.The 103-pounder took second at regionals.

Zeke Breuninger, Dexter

Markey finished his sophomore year 49-10, which included an opening round win and a fifth-place finish at the state finals.

Jordan Markey, Lincoln

Delahaye took second place in the Division 1 region-al. He went 36-9 at 160 pounds during his senior year and earned a trip to the state finals.

Shames Delahaye, Belleville

Simmons went 41-8 at 135 pounds of Division 2. He took third at regionals before making a state title run at The Palace.

Anthony Simmons, Ypsilanti

Brock Vlcek was one of only five freshmen to make it to the state finals in the history of Dutch wrestling. He finished the year with a 36-15 `record at 103 pounds.

Brock Vleck, Manchester

Render finished his career with a 37-7 mark and also claimed one win in the consolation round of the state finals.

Cody Render, Manchester

One of two state qualifiers from Manchester at the 130-pound division, Conway finished off his senior year with a 20-12 record.

Tom Conway, Manchester

A senior, Kittel won 30 matches at the 130-pound divi-sion. In his final season, he also made his first trip to the state finals.

Case Kittel, Manchester

Heritage All-Area Wrestling

A sophomore, Coval had a second-best 39 wins for the state semifinalst Dutch. Individually, he qualified for the state finals at 135 pounds.

Eric Coval, Manchester

The junior finished the season with a 45-7 record and advanced to Division 1 regionals at the 112-pound weight class.

Taylor Ticknor, Saline

In his senior season, Boxeth fininished 39-10 and made it all the way to individual regionals at the 125-pound weight class.

Ryan Boxeth, Saline

Ben Doll took fourth at regionals at Mason. An injury prevented the senior from competing in the state finals.

Ben Doll, Chelsea

C ★ THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012www.heritage.com

For Michigan stu-dents, the Michigan Historical Museum makes for a pretty inspiring classroom.

That’s the theory behind the BIG History Lesson, a weeklong immersion-learn-ing program for third- and fourth-graders that’s held in the galleries and education rooms of the downtown Lansing museum.

Regularly welcoming more than 70,000 schoolchildren each year on school trips, the Michigan Historical Museum is a natural fit for this unique learning program that caters to the braces-and-ponytails set.

“It’s an opportunity for teachers to move their class-rooms to the museum for a five-day period,” said Laurie Perkins, education historian and BIG History Lesson coordinator at the museum.

The teachers develop themes and plan the les-sons. The museum provides classroom space, daily pre-sentations for the youngsters and an engaging backdrop designed to motivate any learner. The program was developed in 1999 by then Michigan Teacher of the Year Margaret Holtschlag, who spent a sabbatical at the museum. The BIG History lesson has been running ever since.

Perkins said that although the BIG History Lesson focuses on immersing students in state history throughout the week, it also includes elements of disci-plines beyond social studies.

Need an example? One presentation in this year’s program involves the his-tory of mining in Michigan. After a tour of the museum’s mining display, students par-ticipate in a “cookie mining” workshop led by museum staff. They’re presented with chocolate-chip cookies wrapped in paper and are confronted with a challenge – how to mine the chips from

the cookies.The youngsters are given

a budget with which to buy tools for mining. They can buy a toothpick for less money than a paperclip, but the paperclip will provide more utility without break-ing or wearing out. The “miners” use their tools to probe for chocolate chips and are rewarded with mon-etary values when chips are extracted.

At the end of the mining expedition, the kids figure the profits (or losses) of their operations by comparing rewards against the cost of tools. That’s math, rudimen-tary economics and history, all folded into a single lesson.

Another program involves a 30-foot canvas silhouette of a voyageur’s canoe. Students have to load the canoe and make decisions on what to take, but must remember that additional provisions mean fewer people to paddle.

Other presentations in the program this year cover the War of 1812, early statehood and the history of British involvement in what would eventually become Michigan – complete with a museum staffer dressed as a Redcoat.

Each student keeps a jour-nal over the course of the week, too, “so it’s math and science and writing, as well as history,” Perkins said.

Thirty-eight teachers have scheduled their classes to participate in the BIG History Lesson this year, ushering about 960 students through the program. The youngsters are mostly from the greater Lansing area, though some will travel daily from as far away as Linden (near Flint).

The museum can accom-modate one to three class-rooms a week, though they most commonly come in pairs, Perkins said.

“A lot of the teachers com-ing as doubles are already team-teaching in the class-room,” she said.

History Lesson inspires students’ creativity Lansing Museum’s

The teachers enlist the aid of parents, bringing three to five adults to provide additional support when the students break into smaller groups. The kids have a few 30-minute free periods, during which they can inde-pendently explore a topic of their choosing at the muse-um. The recent Civil War exhibit was a hit with the crew from Rayla Elementary School in Haslett.

Eight-year-old Eliana Hatt plunked herself down in front of a Civil War exhibit case – where weapons and medals were on display – taking notes in her journal. She was especially taken with the swords, she said, because her older brother likes swords.

“I like the guns and other weapons,” she said. “I’d like to know more about how they work and how they were used. I’d also like to see who got medals and why they got them.”

Carol Amor, who is team-teaching with John Penn at Rayla, came for the first time this year while Penn was taking his fifth class through the program.

“I’m finding I need more time,” Amor said. “I could have easily come for two weeks. There’s just so much to see.”

Her teaching partner said that, from a teacher’s perspective, the BIG History week at the museum is “lib-erating.”

“You’re free from the tele-phone, free from emails, free from the intercom,” Penn said “It’s like a kid in candy store.

“When kids are in the ninth and 10th grade, they say this is the thing they remember most about their elementary education,” Penn said. “It allows them to discover and expand outside the strictures of a work-sheet.”

Before the week was out,

the Rayla students would take a Capitol tour and learn about the auto industry on a mock assembly line at the museum. Some of the students get “fired” for poor work. And when enough of them do, will they form a union?

“It’s the perfect age for social studies. The kids love it,” Perkins said. “They take great ownership of the museum, and that’s the greatest benefit to us. I get hugs and high-fives when they leave. It’s one of the fun parts of my job.”

The BIG History Lesson is available to teachers every week with five consecutive school days in it, Perkins said, from September through early May. There is a $300 per-classroom fee for the program for the 2012/13 school year. Applications for next year’s BIG History Lesson are due by April 30 and teachers must attend a two-day summer work-

shop before the school year begins.

The program can now schedule a maximum of 60 classrooms a year and, so far, has been able to accom-modate all requests, Perkins said.

As a state historical trea-sure that seeks to help peo-ple discover, enjoy and find inspiration in their heritage, the Michigan Historical Museum seems like just about the perfect setting to showcase the popular BIG History Lesson – as well as the many other exhibits, pro-grams and learning opportu-nities it provides to history lovers of all ages.

The Michigan Historical Museum is part of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources. For more infor-mation on the BIG History Lesson, visit the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/bighistory.

Photos courtesy of MIchigan DNR

The Civil War exhibit at the Michigan Historical Museum is a big hit with fourth-graders.

looking for was coaching compatibility.

Part of the recruiting process has to be whether you feel comfortable and confident with the coach you are going to be with the next four to five years.”

And football is just part of trying to make a some-times very difficult deci-sion. Remember, most of these football players will never step on an NFL field so getting a good education is the ultimate goal.

“Academically, I need to find the right fit and find out which schools offer what majors, and what kind of support the play-ers are offered,” Whitley said. “Though I would like to think so, the truth is football doesn’t last forever.”

When the dust settled, the options weighed and all the numbers crunched, Whitley’s decision added up to Sienna Heights. And, for Whitley, it wasn’t an easy call – but tough deci-sions are never easy.

“It was a tough deci-sion but I wanted to find a place where I was going to make a difference my first couple of years,” he said. “I’m going to see the field my first year so that was one of the big reasons.”

While playing right away is an important part of the equation , it’s only one of several factors Whitley and thousands others like him have to weigh when deciding where to spend the next four years of your life.

“College is tough to pay for and we all know that,” he said, referring to one of those factors near the top of the list. “(Sienna Heights) offered me about an 80 percent scholarship so that helps out too.”

The financial impact of such a decision can’t be overstated. And Whitley took the more practical and cost-effective road. He certainly has the work ethic, passion and skill

set to succeed at a bigger school but would have had to take less financial aid and even try to walk-on at the bigger Division 1 schools.

“When you try to walk on, even as a preferred walk on, you have to earn that scholarship,” Whitley said. In other words, there are no guarantees.

And he was guaranteed a nice scholarship package at Sienna Heights.

“It’s a school that’s close to (Dexter) so I know some of the players from play-ing against them and it’s a program that’s only in its second year so we all are pretty close in age,” Whitley said. Whitley started 27 games during his Dexter career and he said they all had one thing in common.

“I had the same kind of butterflies before each game,” he said. “That means I really love the sport. As soon as I got called up when I was a sophomore I knew this was something I wanted to do in college. I couldn’t imag-ine myself now not playing football. It’s made a huge difference in my life.”

Walking off that Dexter field for the last time was difficult for Whitley. “Knowing that it was the last time I would play there and the fact that my dad had played on that field made it pretty tough,” he said.

Tucker has a special relationship with his dad, Mark. A former coach for the Dreadnaughts during Tucker’s sophomore and junior seasons on varsity, Mark was and is his son’s biggest fan and a big reason why Tucker has been suc-cessful not only on the foot-ball field but in life as well.

“My dad is the greatest guy I’ve ever met,” Tucker says. “The recruiting pro-cess lasted about a year and a half and I never knew it was going to be like this with all the phone calls, letters and visits. And he did it all for me. He’s my best friend.”

RECRUITFROM PAGE 1-C

quietly watched the ath-letes run through drills. Coaches took notes, parents debated and the players themselves made new networks.

At the end of the day, players had a measuring stick of where they were heading into the spring season. They also had a chance to showcase their talents to other inter-ested parties.

“It seems like a week or so after an event, the kids that did well get

offers or coaches talk to them on a regular basis,” Kielbaso said.

For those not fortunate enough to catch the eye of a college coach at the combine have reason to be just as optimistic. Now, those players have a concrete idea of what areas to build upon.

“The kids gage them-selves on what they need to work on,” Kielbaso said. “They don’t realize what they need to work on at times. When they get to summer camp, they know what to work to on.”

Mike Feld can be reached at [email protected]

Working out for scouts:The following is a list of some of the local athletes to

work out at the Michigan Preps Combine in Wixom:

Zachary Davis AA Pioneer 2013 RB Arthur Dukes Milan HS 2013 RB Willie Elam AA Skyline 2013 LB Matthew Franz Manchester 2013 LB Javonn Gamble Belleville 2015 RB Matt Goeman Saline 2013 DB Jimmy Kurasz Manchester 2014 RB Blaine LeClair Milan 2014 LB Jaavaid Love AA Huron 2014 RB K. Madoula-Bey Skyline 2013 LB Darrin Newlin Richard 2014 RB Tyler Palka Saline 2013 QB Chad Reed Pioneer 2013 LB Joey Zakrajsek Saline 2013 WR

COMBINEFROM PAGE 1-C

Brandon Inge may have very well played his last regular season game in a Detroit

Tigers’ uniform. The organization’s

longest tenured player and jack-of-all trades is struggling in Spring Training, just a few months removed from being demoted to Triple-A Toledo midway through the 2011 season.

Inge, who hit .197 in 102 games a year ago, is hitting just .171 in 15 games this spring. Inge has just one RBI and has amassed seven strikeouts.

The Tigers had hoped to find a place for Inge on the roster, though his familiar home at third base now belongs to perennial All-Star Miguel Cabrera. Inge convinced the organizational brass to compete for the second-base job, but Inge has been unable to shake his woes at the plate.

Only a .235 career hitter— who turns 35 in May— it could be his poor performance this spring that signals the end of the line for Inge in Detroit, this time for good.

The Tigers kept Inge in the organization last season, partially because of contract obligations, but mostly because owner Mike Ilitch is

loyal— perhaps to a flaw— to Inge and is ever optimistic that he is due

for a career renaissance. The Tigers did their part, he simply isn’t doing his.

Inge has presented himself as a team player through all of the adver-sity he’s endured. Never once has he thrown his teammates or his club under the bus and he has taken the brunt of the responsibility for his offensive shortcomings. Though he remains one

of Detroit’s most polarizing sports figures, it’s increasingly difficult to root against a guy making such a valiant comeback attempt.

Though he’s likely running out of time. At his best, Inge was a .287 hitter in 2004 while serving as a utility player. Those days are behind him.

While he’s the Tigers’ elder states-man, time is no longer on Inge’s side. Players rarely rebound into their mid-to-late 30s and even if he does, there may be no place to put him. Unlike last year,when the Tigers were willing to wait out Inge while he found his swing in Toledo, there are more pieces to play with this time around.

Both Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn are hitting north of .300 this

spring and are penciled in to see time at second with Danny Worth making a strong case to make the 25-man roster.

In 16 games, Worth is hitting .296 with five extra-base hits and four RBI. Though there’s no clear-cut front runner in the race for the everyday second basemen, Inge is looking more and more like the odd man out.

With a bolstered roster, a balloon-ing payroll and through-the-roof expectations, Ilitch and the Tigers can ill afford to sacrifice a roster spot on a player that has shown no signs of a turnaround.

As we’re constantly reminded, baseball is a business. The Tigers are making winning in the immedi-ate future their top priority. If Inge is unable to help the cause, which seems to be the case, it’s time to cut ties.

It’d be a small piece of injustice if the Tigers go on to win the World Series without Inge on the roster, with all that he’s been through with the only professional organization he’s ever been a part of. He played a substantial role in helping Detroit regain ground and become one of Major League Baseball’s top-tier franchises.

But if the Tigers are going to make history in 2012, they can’t relish on pieces from their past.

Saline’s Inge could be facing the end of his Tigers career

RANDALL CASTRO

C * THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012www.heritage.com

Ypsi jumps the gun on track season

Jeneau Joubert Brittany Washington

Amanda Johnson and Tiffany RustenBrandon Stevens

Photos by Kevin Doby

4C

Dundee

High Low

RIVER LEVELS

ABOVENORMAL

BELOWNORMAL

NEARNORMAL

ABOVENORMAL

BELOWNORMAL

NEARNORMAL

SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR WASHTENAW COUNTY

Precipitation:

Temperatures:

ALMANAC

PAST WEEK’S TEMPSTemperatures

The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Shown are the highs for the day.

Weekly UV Index and RealFeel Temperature®

THIS WEEK’S CONDITIONS

Flood Current stage stage Ecorse Creek

Huron River

Mallets Creek

Mill Creek

River Raisin

Lake Normal CurrentLAKE LEVELS

Shown is Thursday’s weather. Temperatures

are Thursday’s highs and Thursday night’s lows.

Lansing

Flint

Durand

Ann Arbor Detroit

SALINE

Dexter

Chelsea

Manchester

AdrianMonroe

Belleville

Tecumseh

Milan52/31

Mason HowellPontiac

Hillsdale

Jackson

Sterling Heights

WindsorYpsilanti

THE REGION

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

REGIONAL CITIES

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

The Moon Rise Set

SUN AND MOONThe Sun Rise Set

NATIONAL OUTLOOK

NATIONAL CITIESCity Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

WORLD CITIES

81 84 8672 61 72

48

50 50 50 54 51 4832

5 4 4 5 5 4 3

High/low for the week .................................. 86°/32°Normal high/low ........................................... 49°/28°Average temperature ........................................ 59.9°Normal average temperature .......................... 38.4°

Adrian 66/36/pc 53/33/s 56/45/c 59/37/pcAnn Arbor 66/34/pc 52/28/s 55/41/c 56/31/pcBattle Creek 66/34/pc 55/34/s 61/44/sh 56/37/pcBay City 60/35/pc 52/29/s 52/35/c 49/32/pcDetroit 65/37/pc 52/34/s 53/42/c 56/35/pcFlint 61/34/pc 52/30/s 54/38/c 53/32/pcGrand Rapids 62/33/pc 55/34/s 58/41/sh 54/36/pcKalamazoo 67/35/pc 56/35/s 62/43/sh 57/37/pcLansing 63/33/pc 53/32/s 54/40/sh 54/35/pcLivonia 64/39/pc 51/34/s 54/42/c 55/36/pc

Manistee 54/33/pc 50/29/s 49/34/sh 47/31/pcMidland 60/34/pc 52/30/s 51/35/sh 49/32/pcMuskegon 56/34/pc 51/33/s 53/40/sh 52/37/pcPontiac 62/34/pc 50/30/s 51/39/c 51/33/pcPort Huron 60/32/pc 48/28/pc 49/36/c 47/30/pcSaginaw 59/32/pc 52/31/s 52/35/c 49/32/pcSault Ste. Marie 47/27/sh 45/25/s 41/27/sh 46/30/pcSturgis 67/35/pc 55/35/s 62/46/c 58/38/cTraverse City 53/30/pc 50/31/s 45/31/sh 48/31/pcWarren 61/37/pc 50/34/s 54/42/c 54/37/pc

First

Mar 30

New

Apr 21

Last

Apr 13

Full

Apr 6

Thursday

Mostly sunny and cooler

Friday

Chance of a shower

Saturday

Chance of a shower

Sunday

Sunny

Monday

Partly sunny and warm

Tuesday

Periods of rain

Wednesday

Cooler with a few showers

Thu. night

Clear

49° to 55° 52° to 58°38° to 44°

53° to 59°28° to 34°

55° to 61°36° to 42°

63° to 69°42° to 48°

59° to 65°34° to 40°

50° to 56°30° to 36°25° to 31°

Statistics for the week ending Monday, March 26

Total for the week .............................................. 0.42”Total for the month ........................................... 2.50”Total for the year ................................................ 6.13”Normal for the month ....................................... 1.77”Normal for the year .......................................... 5.08”

Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.

5054 53 54 58 68 59 Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed.

Dearborn Heights ........................... -- .......... 2.40 ft

Ann Arbor ................................... 16 ft ........ 13.34 ft

Ann Arbor ........................................ -- .......... 3.38 ft

Dexter .......................................... 12 ft .......... 6.97 ft

Manchester ...................................... -- .......... 3.70 ft

As of 7 a.m. Monday

Lake Erie ............................. 580.11 ft ...... 572.37 ftLake St. Clair ........................... 575 ft ...... 574.39 ft

53/32

52/30

52/32

52/28 52/34

52/28

52/30

53/29

52/30

53/3351/34

52/30

51/3253/32

53/32 51/3250/30

51/33

54/32

50/34

50/3552/30

Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat.

Thursday 11:25 a.m. 1:55 a.m.Friday 12:21 p.m. 2:41 a.m.Saturday 1:21 p.m. 3:22 a.m.Sunday 2:26 p.m. 3:59 a.m.Monday 3:34 p.m. 4:34 a.m.Tuesday 4:44 p.m. 5:05 a.m.Wednesday 5:56 p.m. 5:36 a.m.

Thursday 7:22 a.m. 7:58 p.m.Friday 7:21 a.m. 7:59 p.m.Saturday 7:19 a.m. 8:00 p.m.Sunday 7:17 a.m. 8:01 p.m.Monday 7:16 a.m. 8:02 p.m.Tuesday 7:14 a.m. 8:03 p.m.Wednesday 7:12 a.m. 8:04 p.m.

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2012

Temperatures 3/29 - 4/4

Precipitation 3/29 - 4/4

Thu. Fri. Sat.

Atlanta 81/56/pc 79/58/s 76/57/tBoston 48/33/sh 49/34/s 50/40/sChicago 54/41/s 65/46/sh 65/43/pcCincinnati 61/41/s 70/55/c 70/48/cCleveland 47/34/pc 56/47/c 57/36/pcDallas 82/63/pc 82/62/t 84/66/sDenver 77/40/s 76/43/pc 82/45/sHonolulu 83/70/pc 82/70/s 82/70/pcHouston 82/62/pc 78/63/t 80/64/cKansas City 82/62/t 80/56/pc 83/57/pcLas Vegas 78/60/s 81/61/s 84/56/sLos Angeles 70/54/pc 73/56/pc 67/49/pcMiami 82/68/s 83/70/s 83/70/sMinneapolis 62/46/t 60/46/pc 67/52/pcNew Orleans 81/65/pc 81/64/t 81/64/tNew York City 57/38/pc 57/42/s 57/44/pcOrlando 85/61/s 86/63/s 84/63/pcPhiladelphia 60/38/pc 59/41/s 62/43/pcPhoenix 86/58/s 87/58/s 90/58/sPittsburgh 51/32/pc 57/41/pc 62/41/pcSt. Louis 74/59/pc 82/62/c 82/57/cSan Francisco 63/51/c 63/50/c 59/45/rSeattle 51/38/r 51/39/r 51/38/rWash., DC 63/41/pc 64/48/s 68/53/pc

Thu. Fri. Sat.

Athens 66/50/s 72/54/s 68/50/sBerlin 50/41/c 52/39/sh 46/27/shBuenos Aires 77/55/s 77/61/s 79/59/sCairo 73/52/s 71/56/s 76/58/pcCalgary 52/32/c 47/32/pc 49/32/shHong Kong 77/70/s 79/68/sh 72/63/pcJerusalem 56/42/s 55/40/sh 63/48/pcJohannesburg 70/58/sh 74/52/s 72/51/sLondon 66/45/s 61/45/pc 55/36/cMexico City 77/48/t 78/47/pc 76/50/cMontreal 45/25/c 39/25/s 45/30/sMoscow 36/32/sn 41/32/sn 43/30/pcParis 67/41/s 65/45/s 61/34/pcRio de Janeiro 77/71/r 82/72/t 81/71/rRome 75/50/s 73/50/s 70/52/sSeoul 61/43/pc 50/36/r 46/30/pcSingapore 86/77/r 86/78/t 86/77/rSydney 79/63/sh 75/61/pc 81/61/sTokyo 59/46/s 64/52/pc 57/39/rWarsaw 50/37/sh 48/36/sh 46/30/sh

Ypsilanti 3/29/12

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