The city of Ypsilanti's membership in the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority is one step closer to becoming official after action taken by the Ann Arbor City Council.

The council voted 10-0 Monday night to approve changes to the articles of incorporation for the AATA, which is being renamed the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority — or AAATA.

The city of Ypsilanti could join with Ann Arbor to form the new Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje said welcoming Ypsilanti into the authority is a way to create a more unified transit system linking the two communities.

"I'm very much in favor of this," he said. "They are our closest partner in so many things, and part of the urban core. I think it's important we recognize this."

The changes give Ypsilanti all rights granted to members of the authority under Act 55, the state law under which Ann Arbor incorporated the city's transit authority in July 1968.

The changes also alter the composition of the authority's governing board, increasing it from seven to nine members — giving Ypsilanti one member appointed by its mayor with concurrence of the Ypsilanti City Council. The other new seat will be an additional Ann Arbor representative.

The new articles of incorporation still need to be acted on by the Ypsilanti City Council and the AATA board. Ypsilanti has specifically requested to become a member of the AATA as local officials look for ways to expand transit services in the county's urban core.

It's possible other communities such as Ypsilanti Township and Pittsfield Township could follow Ypsilanti's lead and join the authority in the future.

When adopted by all parties, the amended articles of incorporation will be filed with the Washtenaw County Clerk's Office and the Michigan Secretary of State.

The proposal voted on at Monday night's meeting was sponsored by Hieftje and Council Members Sabra Briere, D-1st Ward, and Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward.

"It is one step that's necessary," Briere said. "This does not address funding. It's only the beginning of the discussion."

Jerry Lax, an attorney for the AATA, said the new articles create a mechanism by which funding for services can occur if voters in both Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti approve it.

Ypsilanti contracts for AATA services through a purchase-of-service agreement right now. Lax said there's interest in enhancing services between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.

"This is a first step. It doesn't by itself create new funding, but it does give Ypsilanti a more active role in governance and does create a mechanism where the voters in both jurisdictions can approve additional funding," Lax old council members.

Council Member Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward, was absent.

Kunselman said he's a strong proponent of retaining the AATA as an Act 55 authority — instead of a countywide transit authority organized under Act 196, which was contemplated last year.

He said communities east of Ann Arbor — Ypsilanti included — are responsible for a significant amount of the AATA's ridership, which brings in federal dollars.

"There is a strong connection between the communities to the east — the urban core — and the city of Ann Arbor," he said. "And I think it's important that we give a voice at the table for the communities, particularly the city of Ypsilanti, to at least talk about the needs for service."

Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber said the Ypsilanti City Council is probably looking at putting the articles of incorporation on its June 18 agenda for approval.

"It's not just for Ypsilanti. It's for Ann Arbor, too," he said. "I think what it gives Ann Arbor is what the AATA has been looking for, and that is really making it more of a regional transit authority. This is taking it one piece at a time. I think the city of Ypsilanti's piece goes down easiest." Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Michelle Chamuel with "The Voice" host Carson Daly.

Tyler Golden | NBC

So it came as no surprise that Chamuel was the first name announced on the "saved" list, as determined by viewer votes.

Before Chamuel's name was called, the former My Dear Disco/Ella Riot front woman performed Madonna's "Open Your Heart" with Team Shakira's lone survivor, Sasha Allen, and Chamuel's coach Usher talked about why the crowd responded so exuberantly to his protege's second performance on Monday evening.

"I think what they got a chance to see is what they all believe in," said Usher. " … We’re proud, we’re happy, we’re humbled by this experience. This is our first time in the saddle, and we’re going to put our best foot forward and continue to be the greatest we can be, man."

Allen, who also had terrific performances on Monday, had her name announced second, followed by Danielle Bradbury (Team Blake), Amber Carrington (Team Adam), and the Swon Brothers (Team Blake), leaving Team Blake's Holly Tucker shut out of the competition.

Chamuel will be back on "The Voice" next Monday night, aiming to earn a spot in the singing competition's final 4.

Jenn McKee is an entertainment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.

Last Friday the Pioneer High School girls lacrosse team won its third straight regional championship and will play in the MHSAA Division 1 state semifinals on Wednesday.

As big of an accomplishment as the regional championship is, Pioneer coach Zachary Maghes knows his team has work to do to get to its end goal.

The Pioneer girls lacrosse team after winning its third straight regional championship.

Photo courtesy of Zachary Maghes

Pioneer fell in the semifinal round of the state tournament in 2012, a year after a heartbreaking overtime loss to Brighton in the championship game. Maghes is hoping its third trip to semifinals in as many years can be the charm for a state championship.

The next step toward that goal for the Pioneers is taking on Bloomfield Hills Lahser in the state semifinals at Hartland High School on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Pioneers haven’t played Lahser yet this year, but are looking to go a perfect 4-0 against Bloomfield Hills teams after beating Bloomfield Hills Marian 14-6, Bloomfield Hills United 17-12 and Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart 17-9.

Maghes said he thought the Pioneers played the best game of their season on Friday, which could mean they are peaking at just the right time.

“We’re just focused on the little things and taking it to the next level,” he said.

Athletes of the Week

Berkley Edwards, far right, ran the fastest 100-meter dash time in the state across all divisions on Saturday.

Latara Appleby | MLive Media Group

Mary Hanna, Saline girls tennis: Defeated Clarkston’s Lexi Baylis - 6-1, 6-2 - in the No. 1 singles finals at the Division 1 girls state championships on Saturday. She is the first No. 1 singles state champion from Washtenaw County since Pioneer’s Jessica Seyferth won in 2005. She will play at Nebraska next year.

By the numbers

0: Hits allowed by Saline pitcher Kristina Zalewski in the Hornets’ 2-0 district championship win over Monroe on Monday.

1: Sets lost all season by Saline’s Mary Hanna, who capped an undefeated season with a Division 1 No. 1 singles state title on Saturday.

Mackenzie Sapp celebrates after scoring a goal for Pioneer in a 3-0 district championship win over Skyline.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com file photo

"That trio up front knows how to score. I know that sounds elementary, but these girls are natural players. They're gifted in that they can shoot inside the midfield and be accurate. Jessica (Manders) has a nose for the ball. Once she gets it, it doesn't matter where she is, she goes right to the net. She's one of the most aggressive players I've ever coached."

Son Volt

And it certainly has a righteous pedigree. The group's founder / frontman / songwriter Jay Farrar spent several years in Uncle Tupelo, a pioneering ensemble that was the most influential band in the early-1990s alt-country movement—before forming Son Volt when Tupelo fractured in 1994. That split was due to longstanding creative differences between co-leaders (and longtime friends) Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, who went on to form Wilco.

And ever since Son Volt’s 1995 debut album, “Trace,” the group has been mingling hard-country twang, gritty roots-rock and spare, wistful acoustic-folk, in heady, inspired fashion, with the proportions always in flux.

And on the band’s last two albums, “American Central Dust” in 2009 and the current “Honky Tonk," they've gone in a decidedly acoustic direction. “There’s always been that duality in Son Volt’s music,” says Farrar, who brings his band to The Ark for a sold-out show on Sunday. “At times, it’s been more electric, at times it’s been more acoustic, but these last couple of albums, we’ve just been drawn to the acoustic side. Our music has always been on that kind of continuum, and lately, we’ve just been wanting to get back to that acoustic sound.”

And this time out, part of the lure was that Farrar also found himself drawn to the Bakersfield honky-tonk tradition—a rich one that includes giants like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. That, in turn, was inspired by his having taken up the pedal-steel guitar and occasionally gigging around his St. Louis hometown in a local band dubbed Colonel Ford (which includes a couple more of members of Son Volt and which will open Sunday’s show).

“I’ve always loved steel guitar, and for the previous 5 years, I’d been taking a lap-steel out on the road. So, that evolved into an interest in pedal steel, which is much more complex than the lap steel - you can get a wider variety of sounds out of it, and it has all of these different tuning combinations, and it’s an incredibly expressive instrument,” says Farrar during a recent phone interview from the road. And, once he got deeper into playing the pedal-steel, it was only a matter of time before he got tugged in the honky-tonk direction—which didn’t really require much of a leap, given how much Son Volt has always drawn on various country-music sub-genres.

But as much as he loves classic honky-tonk, Farrar also wanted the songs to sound contemporary: “We didn’t want to feel limited by the parameters of that period. We didn’t want to do a nostalgia thing.” Plus, Farrar has always been keen to strike a balance, in Son Volt’s music, between the immediacy of a live, rootsy sound and a bit of in-studio polish. “I like our music best when we start out playing live, in the studio, because I love that live energy, and that’s when exciting things happen, when you’re playing off of each other,” he says. “But then after we’ve recorded the tracks live like that, we like to go back and add a few things, maybe a bit of polish here, or some different effects there.”

To that end, several of the songs have generous amounts of echo or distortion. And the song “Hearts and Minds” also incorporates a double-time Cajun-waltz feel into the mix, and “Down the Highway” is also infused with Irish-folk-rock elements, while “Livin’ On” was inspired in part by soul music. “Yeah, we were thinking of Solomon Burke or Otis Redding on that one, but I also wanted to get some distorted harmonica in there. That’s something Bob Dylan does a lot when he plays live—runs the harmonica through an amp, to get that dissonant sound.”

Of course, most of the great country / honky-tonk songs have been about heartache, lost love and hard times. So, starting with “American Central Dust,” Farrar had to overcome his previous aversion to writing about love, or even using the words “love” and “heart” in his new songs. “Those subjects have obviously been written about forever in pop and rock and country songs, with good reason, because they’re so universal—a lot of great writers have written great songs about it, but I often found my songs going in a different direction, and I always sort of resisted using that language,” says Farrar.

“But, I knew that if I was going to make this kind of record, I would have to embrace the lexicon of country music, and write songs that touch on heartbreak and loss.” And on “Honky Tonk” he does a fine job of plumbing that rich emotional vein. The pensive “Brick Walls” and “Barricades” for example, are poignant renderings of heartache, but also convey the need to move forward, and heal. “No wage can buy what the world never wanted,” Farrar sings, in his signature melancholy fashion. “Hearts press on anyway, undaunted.”

And on the perfectly titled “Bakersfield,” Farrar conjures Haggard when he sings about the “sound of heartbreak from a jail cell” and the bars where “hell breaks loose on Saturday night.” Farrarr also wrote a book that was released at the same time as “Honky Tonk,” in March. Titled “Falling Cars and Junkyard Dogs,” it also features Farrar’s own black-and-white photographs.

“Yeah, that was a new endeavor for me—I’d never written anything but songs and postcards,” says Farrar wryly. “But I did feel a natural inclination to want to write in other forms. It’s a combination of essays about music, plus my own some impressions of real-life events, and short-story-like vignettes, that are related to growing up, and to my early forays into music, and to a lot of the great, inspirational characters I met when I was coming up and starting to play music.”

In the book, Farrar also writes about his falling-out with Tweedy, but without referring to him by name—instead, he refers to Tweedy as “the bass player” in the book.

“We’ve conversed a few times over the years,” Farrar recently remarked to the Wall Street Journal. “But I haven’t spoken with him in a while. We travel in different circles.”

Kevin Ransom, a freelance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com, first wrote about Son Volt in 1995, for Guitar Player magazine. He can be reached at KevinRansom10@aol.com.

After delaying a vote on issuing $345 million in debt to cover long-term liabilities, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners is seeking more input from both professionals and the public.

Facing about $340 million worth of debt for future, long-term health care and pension costs for its retired employees, the county administration has been working with a consultant since November on the issue.

AnnArbor.com file photo

Issuing bonds for the debt would be an unprecedented move for the county - and the weight of the issue prompted the commissioners to delay an initial vote to start the process at their mid-May meeting.

The county has hired a new firm to provide an independent review of the matter - and the Board of Commissioners is pursuing feedback in upcoming public hearings and a working session this week.

According to an analysis conducted by the county’s longtime bond counsel John Axe, president of the law firm Axe & Ecklund, and by Axe’s daughter, Meredith Shanle of Municipal Financial Consultants Inc., the county could stand to reduce its expenditures for the health care and pension costs through the bond issue by about $112.5 million.

However, the initial reports from Axe and Shanle were drafted using old actuary reports - and commissioners weren’t comfortable basing their decisions on estimates without new data.

Both Axe and Shanle would also only be paid for their work should the county commissioners choose to issue the bonds.

County administrators have hired the PFM Group for a flat fee of $12,500 to provide a second opinion. PFM is anticipated to issue its review in early July after the 2012 actuary report and experience review are produced.

The first public hearing on the bond issue will be during the Board of Commissioner’s regular meeting Wednesday night. The regular meeting begins after the commissioner’s 6:30 p.m. Ways and Means meeting ends.

The second public hearing will be during the Commissioner’s regular meeting July 10. The board is scheduled to vote on initiating the bonding process at that meeting.

Commissioners have also put the bond issue on their Thursday working session agenda.

They’ve asked the county’s bond counsel to return before the board.

Commissioner and working session chairman Andy LaBarre said he has invited several professors and a consultant to give their opinions on a pro bono basis:

• Rowan Miranda, associate vice president for finance at the University of Michigan
• Jens Stephan, professor of accounting at Eastern Michigan University
• Larry Langer, Buck Consultants

LaBarre said he found the professors based on the recommendation of the universities’ community relations staff. However, Dr. Miranda will be out of town Thursday and unable to attend the meeting, LaBarre said.

In addition to the more formal public hearings at the Board of Commissioner meetings, Chairman Yousef Rabhi has set several dates to discuss the bond issue informally at area coffee shops with anyone interested:

• 4 to 6 p.m. June 15 at Espresso Royale at 214 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor
• 4 to 6 p.m. June 26 at Caribou Coffee at 1423 E. Stadium Blvd. in Ann Arbor

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

The owner of the revamped Shell gas station on Ann Arbor-Saline Road wants to construct a drive-thru lane to serve the attached Tim Hortons restaurant.

Abraham Ajrouch, owner of the 1.44-acre site at the corner of Eisenhower Parkway and Ann Arbor-Saline Road, said a drive-thru lane is crucial for Tim Hortons’ business.

“People just want to get their coffee and go,” he said. “I see a lot of people pull in here and look to see if there’s a drive-thru, and then they just leave. You have to have a drive-thru for a Tim Hortons.”

The owner of the Shell gas station on Ann Arbor-Saline Road wants to construct a drive-thru to serve the Tim Hortons on the north end of the site.

Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com

In 2012, Ajrouch completed a renovation of the Shell gas station at 2679 Ann Arbor-Saline Road. The project, which he said totaled more than $1 million, included constructing an addition, converting a former car wash area into a retail space and reconfiguring the parking lot.

As part of the renovations, Tim Hortons signed a lease to occupy 1,100 square feet of the 4,089-square-foot gas station. Ajrouch did not construct a drive-thru at the time, because the already-approved plans did not include one.

Ajrouch said customers “love” the renovation and the Tim Hortons coffee shop, but he said he could lose Tim Hortons as a tenant if he doesn’t construct the drive-thru. He recently submitted a revised Planned Unit Development zoning and site plan to the city of Ann Arbor that would allow the construction of a drive-thru window and drive-thru lane on the north end of the site.

A portion of the site would be reconfigured to create space for the drive-thru, and Ajrouch said he would relocate an outdoor picnic area to the center of a landscape island on the property. He would move a pedestrian sidewalk further north and install signage to caution pedestrians and drivers to stop before crossing.

Eight residents attended a citizens participation meeting for the project on May 6, according to city documents.

“The citizens were generally in favor of the project/business and were particularly complimentary of the recent renovations and the addition of the Tim Hortons Restaurant,” a city report says.

Concerns included the effect a drive-thru would have on traffic, but Ajrouch said traffic counts to the station are already down since the car wash was removed. He said gas sales have also dropped significantly due to gas prices.

“I’m happy with the renovations I did. It was a huge investment and the building is beautiful now, but if I can’t get the drive-thru, then I can’t continue to have Tim Hortons,” Ajrouch said.

The plans are expected to go before the city of Ann Arbor's planning commission in July.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

The chart shows where the city's medical marijuana facilities are located and where potential ones may be placed.

Courtesy Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti will not impose an emergency moratorium against new medical marijuana dispensaries and grow facilities, despite pleas from several residents to consider the ordinance.

"All of these drugs right now are tearing up our community," said Ypsilanti resident Brian Foley, who has lived in the city for 53 years. "I'm a recovering addict. I know the pain of addiction and we have a lot of pain on my side of town. I'm a lifelong resident of Ypsilanti. I don't want my city to be known as the dope capital of the midwest."

Council member Ricky Jefferson and Mayor Pro Tem Lois Richardson brought forth the ordinance on May 21, which requested no additional permits and licenses be granted related to medical marijuana for 60 days until city staff reviews the present density of licenses already granted.

To impose the emergency ordinance, it would have taken four-fifths of council to vote in favor of it for it to pass. Jefferson, Richardson and Council Member Susan Moeller voted in favor of it. Mayor Paul Schreiber, Council members Brian Robb and Daniel Vogt voted against it. Council Member Pete Murdock abstained.

"I am very moved by the fact that the citizens don't want to see these businesses by their homes," Moeller said.

Council originally voted to table the ordinance at the May meeting.

Jefferson said his main concern and drive to propose the moratorium was based on what he believes is a high number of facilities located within Ward 1, which he represents.

"This thing was kind of backdoored on us," said Ypsilanti resident Ken Harrison. "I remember going to Abe's Coney Island one day and then the next thing I knew, it was a (marijuana) facility in the back. We have halfway houses, assisted living facilities popping up everywhere. It's time we’re notified prior to these things coming up."

Ricky Jefferson

Ypsilanti has the following dispensaries and grow facilities within city limits:

• Ward 1 has two dispensaries, with one potential dispensary. The ward also has one grow facility and one potential grow facility.
• Ward 2 has one dispensary.
• Ward 3 has three dispensaries and one potential grow facility.

Several community members attended the May 21 and June 4 meetings to voice their disapproval of more dispensaries opening in the community — particularly Ward 1.

Yet, some residents and dispensary owners had a different belief and stated the businesses are good for the city and local economy.

Ypsilanti resident John Evans, who gave a presentation Tuesday entitled the "History/Synopsis of Medical Marijuana" is in favor of the facilities. Evans is a medical marijuana activist and medical marijuana patient.

"I'm here telling my city council that i want to be progressive," Evans said. "That's how social change works. We don't wait for Washington. Saturation should be defined by the free market in a capitalist society."

Ypsilanti business owner Dave Heikkinen said business owners in the downtown district had initial concerns about Herbal Solutions, at 124 W Michigan Ave, opening, but he said no issues have been reported.

"We had concerns when this whole thing took off," Heikkenen said. "We had a town hall with Herbal Solutions. Like it or not, we've lived harmoniously since they opened up."

Jamie Lowell of 3rd Coast Compassion Center, a dispensary, said he believes a town hall meeting should be held so both sides can discuss their concerns.

"If we could do a town hall or some meeting outside of this to examine what are our serious issues, we could learn more about this together and move forward," Lowell said.

Rick Thompson, a parent of an Eastern Michigan University student and a Clear Channel radio show host said "a vocal minority should not be allowed to rule over a vocal majority," citing Ypsilanti's recent measures passed in favor of medical marijuana by residents.

Former Mayor Cheryl Farmer, who is also a practicing physician, is against more dispensaries and facilities opening.

"The idea of adding medical to marijuana was to make it more palatable to the citizenry," Farmer said. "Let's not keep pretending it's medical."

Farmer said the city has more than enough dispensaries and facilities for the entire population of the city.

"We've got plenty to take care of the people in our city," Farmer said. "We don't need to serve Toledo and Detroit. Let's study the issue and decide what we want."

Police Chief Amy Walker said the current facilities have had relatively low calls for service, but she doesn't believe more would be good for the city. Between May 2012 and May 2013 all of the city's medical marijuana facilities received only five calls.

"That's my personal opinion," Walker said. "I do believe marijuana is a gateway to heavier drugs and we have a hard enough time fighting the drug problem (we already have.) I understand the hot topic it is, but in my humble opinion, there are plenty dispensaries to go around these four square miles. I don’t think the city wants to promote itself as medical marijuana mecca."

Reverend Garther Roberson of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church at 718 North Prospect, said he's lived in Ypsilanti for more than 85 years and believes the city must do more to prevent a rising number of new medical marijuana facilities.

"I've watched this great city as we've had ups and downs," Robeson said. "Marijuana in itself isn't the bad thing, it's the question of what it leads to. Why must it be on the south side?"

Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.

A new series on the television channel Investigation Discovery will feature a case involving dismembered body parts turning up in a Washtenaw County McDonald's.

Thomas Craft and the 1999 murder of his wife, Lynette Quast Craft, will be the focus of the series premiere of the show "Most Likely To," which airs at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Thomas Craft, as shown in his booking photo from 1999.

AnnArbor.com files

Thomas, 50, was convicted of murdering Lynette and scattering her body around Michigan. A Toldeo Blade report from 2011 said that detectives from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office found legs severed from the knees down at the McDonald's on Zeeb Road in Scio Township later the same day in July 1999 that the mother of two was reported missing from the couple's home in Ohio. Her drivers license was also found at that time.

According to the Blade report, Lynette had known Thomas since they were children and they had dated since high school in Wisconsin. Craft became a successful engineer and the couple moved to Ohio, where they started a family. Craft claims his wife killed herself and that he dismembered her and scattered the parts to assuage the shame of suicide.

Lynette Craft on her wedding day.

AnnArbor.com files

The Quast family is convinced Craft murdered Lynette, according to a press release. They had been arguing the days before her disappearance, the Blade reported.

Thomas Craft eventually entered a plea deal in an Ohio court that sent him to prison for 12 years. He was scheduled to be released on June 20, 2011.

Two retired detectives from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office -- Cindy Squires and Gordon Ralph -- were interviewed and will appear in the episode, according to a press release.

The show is on channel 111 on Comcast in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. It's on channel 260 on Uverse.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

2013 graduates of Ann Arbor Community High School took turns on the stage of Rackham Auditorium to give a 30-second speech before taking a final bow to their high school years. Photographer Chris Asadian was there to capture these images from the evening.

As the 163 graduates of Ypsilanti High School, dressed head to toe in purple, marched across the stage to receive their diplomas on Tuesday night they signified the beginning of a new chapter in their own lives and a new chapter for the district.

“I’m really enjoying looking out at this sea of purple,” Superintendent Dedrick Martin said. “I’m going to miss that.”

Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts will merge to create the Ypsilanti Community School district set to launch July 1. The class of 2013 will be the last graduating class from Ypsilanti High School; the last class to "bleed purple and gold.’

Ypsilanti graduates embrace after commencement on Tuesday, June 4.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Student officers spoke on behalf of their class. Each called for their fellow classmates to represent Ypsilanti High School in a positive light as the last class to walk its halls.

“As I listen to the speeches of your officers, I am comforted to know the future is in good hands. No one could have said it better than you did,” Martin said.

Valedictorian Meagan Winkelseth said it has been both an honor and a challenge to be the last graduating class from Ypsilanti High.

“We can take pride in being a part of the last graduating class,” Winkelseth said. “They really did save the best for last.”

Salutatorian John Davis spoke of the journey he and his classmates have embarked on since elementary school. He read ‘Spoken Poetry’ to family and friends, urging them to remember the journey they have been on.

“We didn’t just make it, we earned it,” Davis said.

Anna Gustatson, president of the National Honor Society, congratulated her class on their success and urged them to continue on to greatness in the future.

“As a class we can make a difference and we will,” Gustatson said.

Keynote speaker and class president Jasmine Jones spoke of the bad reputation that Ypsilanti High School gets. She told fellow classmates to have pride and represent the school they came from.

“This moment is not only our graduation, but the final graduation and because of that we represent our class and all those before us,” Jones said. “I believe there are great things to come from Ypsilanti Community High, but tonight is to celebrate us.”

Christana Slater, student council co-president, recounted the last moments not only as high school students, but as the last class of Ypsilanti High.

“Together, forever, we will bleed purple and gold,” Slater said.

Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.

Preliminary crime statistics from last year released Tuesday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation show violent crime dropped in Ann Arbor but property crime rose by more than 170 reported crimes.

The FBI statistics show there were 228 violent crimes reported in Ann Arbor in 2012. There were 36 reported forcible rapes, 50 robberies, 141 aggravated assaults and one murder, according to the FBI.

FBI stats show property crime rose by more than 170 reported crimes in 2012.

Steve Pepple | AnnArbor.com file photo

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje said Tuesday it would have been a surprise for the city to see as little crime as it did in 2011. In that year, the city experienced its lowest amount of reported crime and a big dropoff from 2010.

Hieftje said much of the increase in property crime can be attributed to home invasions during the first part of 2012. He said a number of arrests made by Ann Arbor police detectives have already stemmed that tide.

“The key thing is there is very fine police work being done,” Hieftje said. “Detectives have really dug in. When they saw breaking and enterings going up in 2012, they were able to marshal resources and really dug in.”

All together, there were 135 more Schedule I offenses reported in Ann Arbor in 2012 than in 2011.

However, Hieftje expects 2013 to be another year where crime decreases. He said he meets once a week with Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto for a briefing on crime statistics in the city.

“I’m not sure if we’ll be back to 2011 levels,” he said, adding that breaking and entering reports are down 25 to 30 percent in 2013 from the same period in 2012.

Seto backed up those numbers and said the preliminary numbers show Ann Arbor is near 2011 levels in crime.

“We have made reductions compared to 2012 in just about all the areas we track,” he said.

Looking at the last five to 10 years, the trend of crime decreasing in the city is ongoing, he said.

In 2011, there were 266 violent crimes reported in Ann Arbor. According to the statistics, there were 40 forcible rapes, 60 robberies and 166 aggravated assaults in 2011. There were no murders in Ann Arbor in 2011.

Larceny/theft reports actually decreased from 1,923 to 1,898, according to the FBI.

There were two violent crimes for every 1,000 people in Ann Arbor in 2012 and 24 property crimes for every 1,000 people in the city, according to the FBI.

Seto said individuals or small groups did many of the home invasions that caused property crime to rise. Often times, arrests made in one case, or a few cases, could also solve many others.

“The detectives and patrol officers worked with other police agencies and made numerous significant arrests, which have impacted our numbers so far this year,” Seto said.

Among the five largest cities in the state, Ann Arbor had the lowest amount of crime.

There were more than 15,000 reports of violent crime in Detroit, more than 2,700 such reports in Flint, 1,075 such reports in Lansing, 232 such reports in Sterling Heights and 715 reports in Warren. Violent crime reports decreased in Detroit and Lansing, but rose in Sterling Heights and Flint.

Ann Arbor was the only city among the five largest cities in the state to see property crime increase. Reports in Detroit went down by 2,807, there were 973 fewer property crimes in Flint, 566 fewer reports in Lansing, 92 fewer reports in Sterling Heights and 56 fewer reports in Warren.

The statistics released Tuesday only dealt with cities in each state that had a population of 100,000 or more.

The lone murder in Ann Arbor in 2012 was the fatal stabbing of 86-year-old Ronald Mason. His daughter Susan Wade pleaded guilty but mentally ill to second-degree murder and will serve at least 20 years in prison.

Seto pointed to the collaboration between local police departments as a major reason why property crimes are already down in 2013. Arrests in cases that involved investigators from Pittsfield Township and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office played a major role in decreasing home invasions.

“It’s absolutely crucial. The collaboration between all of the local agencies, and within Washtenaw County, is tremendous,” he said.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Busch's Fresh Food Market CEO John Busch, pictured inside the store on South Main Street in Ann Arbor, said there are still expansion opportunities in southeast Michigan.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Competition in the Ann Arbor supermarket scene has exploded since Joe Busch and Charlie Mattis founded the chain of Busch’s Fresh Food Markets in 1975.

Busch’s — which is headquartered on South Main Street and operates 15 supermarket stores in southeast Michigan — is looking at growth opportunities as the region emerges from the depths of the recession.

Busch’s Fresh Food Market CEO John Busch, who co-owns the chain with his brothers, Doug and Tim, spoke with AnnArbor.com about keeping up with grocery trends, how Busch’s weathered the recession and why the company doesn’t want to leave Michigan. Excerpts:

AnnArbor.com: Busch’s has a long history in the Ann Arbor area. How have you watched the grocery scene change since the company has been here?

Busch: We’ve had two Whole Foods added, a Hiller’s was added, Plum Market was added, Trader Joe’s came into the market, as well as Aldi.

It’s an incredible amount of competition.

AnnArbor.com: What niche do you believe Busch’s is filling and how does the company compete with other grocery stores?

Busch: First off, we’re what the industry calls a conventional supermarket; that is, you can get all your grocery needs in one place. That’s opposed to some of the higher-end, specialty-only stores where you typically have to go somewhere else to balance your shopping.

We carry household items like laundry detergent, pet foods, health and beauty needs… and also all the organic produce and organic offerings throughout the store, along with gluten-free items that are becoming much more mainstream. We also offer extensive prepared foods.

AnnArbor.com: What was Busch’s strategy as the local and national economy started to decline?

Busch: In 2008, we opened a store in West Bloomfield, and getting that thing up and running was the primary focus of the organization. But we just quit looking at new stores for a period of time, because those take a lot of resources. The economy wasn’t presenting that many opportunities, particularly as housing growth came to a screaming halt.

You also had to respond to what people wanted. As people became very, very cautious — especially in the early years of the recession — they were often trading down in what they might have purchased previously.

Busch's has corporate offices at its store on South Main Street in Ann Arbor.

File photo | AnnArbor.com

People ate out less, which brought more customers into the business, which offset the fact that people were trading down. …People were more conservative about spending habits. That has certainly started to come back in the last year or two, because people are being much more confident and treating themselves. I don’t know if (spending is) ever going to get back to the levels it was previously.”

AnnArbor.com: Can you talk about the sales trajectory at Busch’s and how it was affected by the recession?

Busch: We were quite stable during the entire period. We never had to lay anybody off, and we came through it, I think, just fine. We always were profitable through those years. It was a lot of work, but we came through very well, I believe.

AnnArbor.com: How many workers does Busch’s employ and have you hired since the downturn?

Busch: Absolutely, (we’ve hired). We have roughly 1,400 employees.

Between the two corporate offices (on South Main Street in Ann Arbor and East Michigan Avenue in Saline), there are probably about 75 employees.

AnnArbor.com: How important is renovating and remodeling stores; and how often do you try to do this?

Busch: It’s a perpetual process, and one that we’re very heavily engaged in this year. We just did a project up in Pinckney that changed that location quite a bit. We started a huge project in South Lyon, which is going to dramatically change that store. Our Saline store is also going to undergo a major renovation this year.

In addition to that, we are starting the construction process for our newest location down in Canton. We have our hands busy with construction and remodeling.

It’s about keeping up with all the changes in the industry. There is more and more focus on fresh food, and sometimes you have to reconfigure the store to accommodate those needs.

Busch: Certainly buying local has become a really huge issue, particularly since the recession, which started it. There is a lot more interest in food and where it comes from and how it is made, particularly in Washtenaw County. People care about those things more.

Thirty, 40 years ago, there wasn’t that much concern about it. Every year, I think it’s getting stronger and stronger, and so we do a lot of work to make that shopping easier by labeling products that have been locally made, are organic, or are gluten-free.

AnnArbor.com: Do you change product lines based on customer requests?

Busch: All the time. It’s a perpetual process.

AnnArbor.com: How important are sales, daily deals and loyalty programs for Busch’s?

Busch: It’s certainly important, because it’s important to all of our customers. The industry as a whole is very promotional based. Loyalty cards are a way of life in our industry. We have (the MyWay program). …We try to make it one that brings advantages to our guests as well as provides information we can use. Ours is geared around how to make shopping easier. We’ll keep track of your purchases so you can go online and make lists. It’s a way to help create focus and ease for what (customers are) looking to accomplish.

AnnArbor.com: Does Busch’s prefer to build new stores, or renovating existing buildings?

Busch: We have done both. One of the advantages, I think, of being an independent retailer is that we’re more adaptable and have more capacity to reuse existing real estate. Some of the big national chains have a corporate footprint that they want to see, and therefore, if (a building) doesn’t fit the footprint, they won't deal with it.

AnnArbor.com: Busch’s participates in a number of community-related events; can you talk about why that fits the company’s vision?

Busch: Partly, it’s important because that’s how I was raised. Being a family business, we have more traditional values. …I grew up in a small town where everybody knew everybody, and that’s just how you lived. Those values that I was raised with are what drive the business today.

AnnArbor.com: What is the company’s expansion plan moving forward?

Busch: I’m expecting we’ll continue to grow. How fast and how quickly will all depend on what opportunities come before us. We don’t have to grow for growth’s sake; we grow selectively as it fits our market and the customers we want to serve.

AnnArbor.com: Would you expand outside of Michigan?

Busch: That’s not likely, just because of the fact that we’re a very family-focused and family-oriented business. I personally go to the stores on a regular basis, and I find that when you get too geographically spread out, it becomes impossible to do that. That’s not really what we’re about.

AnnArbor.com: Is there still expansion opportunity in southeast Michigan?

Busch: Oh, absolutely. There will always be opportunity here, you just have to find the right location and carve out your niche.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

Mild temperatures, sunny days and the close of the school year make for a kind of giddy spring celebration right about now. With more daylight per day, and minimal skeeters as yet, there’s plenty of incentive to call the pre-summer-solstice your favorite time of the year.

Why would you give up this alfresco glory to spend an evening inside a theater? This week’s venues give you three great reasons, from the historic Lydia Mendelssohn, a gorgeous “shoebox theater” built in 1929; to the intimate 200-seat Sponberg Theatre on EMU’s campus; to a tiny, rustic, renovated Carriage House on the Old West Side. It also gives you one chance to enjoy both the weather and the theater, with “Much Ado About Nothing” in the panoramic outdoor setting of Nichols Arboretum.

Indoor or outdoor, the venues this week are scenery in themselves!

Photo by Glenn Bugala

The crash caused a long backup on the freeway Tuesday.

• Previous article: Crash shuts U-S. 23 south of Ann Arbor

The man injured when the skid-steer loader he was operating was struck by a semi truck on U.S. 23 south of Ann Arbor Tuesday afternoon was in fair condition at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Superior Township Wednesday morning.

The driver of the semi, who was also taken to St. Joe after the crash, was treated and released, said hospital spokeswoman Laura Blodgett.

The crash occurred shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday when the operator of the skid-steer loader was trying to cross the southbound lanes of the freeway south of Interstate 94, said Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police. The impact knocked the operator of the construction vehicle, a 39-year-old man from Hillman, off the vehicle.

The truck driver is a 57-year-old man from Fort Wayne, Ind.

No citations had been issued in the crash as of Wednesday morning, but the operator of the skid-steer loader failed to yield to oncoming traffic when crossing the freeway, Thompson said.

Jim Harmon, director of operations for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, said a contractor had been doing mowing work along U.S. 23 this week.

By Brandon Folsom | bfolsom@mlive.com

KALAMAZOO - As young as Manchester's girls soccer team is, not many believed a team with eight sophomores and nine freshmen could make it this far.

Manchester sophomore Jessie Manders scored a pair of goals to help lift the Flying Dutchmen past Holland Black River 2-0 in a regional semifinal on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon at Kalamazoo College.

A club team last season and competing in its first ever MHSAA postseason, Manchester is now three games away from winning a Division 4 state title.

“This is our first year playing in the tournament, and it feels like we’re a Cinderella story,” Manchester coach Mark Davis said. “We were not expected to go far, but we’ve been great. We’ll play against anyone.”

From left to right, Manchester girls soccer team's sophomores Jessie Manders and Sydnie Ahrens, and senior Taylor Manders. (Brandon Folsom)

Manders scored her first goal by shooting the ball past a scrum of defenders from 10 yards out with 16 minutes remaining in the game.

Four minutes later, sophomore Sydnie Ahrens passed to a ready-to-shoot Manders in front of the net. Manders scored on the shot and put the game out of reach at 2-0. The second goal was Manders’ 51st goal and Ahrens’ 37th assist of the season.

“It was a battle between two teams who know how to play competitive girls soccer,” Davis said. “We knew Holland Black River was a very talented team at all 11 positions, so a young team like us, with only one senior, had to rely on our playmaking ability and smarts to get the win.”

Manchester depended on goalkeeper Kendra Beasley, who finished with 15 saves, to keep Black River off the scoreboard in the first half, while the Flying Dutchmen struggled on offense. Black River kept the ball in the attacking third for most of the half. However, both teams entered halftime tied 0-0.

“We struggled offensively in the first half, because we’ve never played on turf before,” Manders said. “We made some adjustments at halftime, and then we finally got used to passing the ball around on the turf.”

Black River topped Hudsonville Freedom Christian 6-1 in the district finals last Saturday. Davis, who is close friends with the Freedom Christian boys soccer coach Nathan Sharpe, relied on Sharpe’s advice for stopping sophomore Eliza Beird, one of Black River’s best offensive players.

“Nathan was the goalie on my high school soccer team at Adrian Lenawee Christian, so based on the scouting report he gave us, he said we must shutdown Beird,” Davis acknowledged. “He said Beird was the girl who hurt Freedom Christian the most. Our plan was to stop Beird and just defend everyone else straight up, and we were able to do just that.”

Black River coach Kyle Lawton was impressed with how many scoring opportunities Beird and sophomore Allison Vroon created and applauded their efforts overall this season.

“Eliza did a good job and created several scoring opportunities for us,” Lawton said. “Allison is a unique player with good overall ball skills, speed, and endurance.”

Vroon dictated play at midfield for most of the game and was one of the fastest players on the field.

Manchester (19-1-1) faces Kalamazoo Christian in the regional finals at 6 p.m. Thursday at Kalamazoo College.

Black River (16-3-2) put together one of its best seasons in school history, and Lawton said he is proud of the program he is building and of how far it has come in the past few years.

“I told our girls that they have to be proud with what they did this season.” Lawton added. “It’s not the result we wanted, but they have to be proud of the legacy they’re leaving behind here at Black River, because they’re the first team to ever win a district title.”

Manchester will play Kalamazoo Christian in the regional final at Kalamazoo College at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Kalamazoo Christian beat St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 3-0 on Tuesday.

You might be surprised how many people are in need of a healthy meal. One in seven adults and one in six children struggle with hunger in Washtenaw County, according to Food Gatherers. So you might be working or in class with someone right now who is trying to cover their need. You can help by attending Grillin’ for Food Gatherers at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds.

George Bedard and the Kingpins, Chris Dupont and the Ben Daniels Band will provide musical entertainment. Martin Bandyke will broadcast the event live on 107.one. Body Wisdom Massage Therapy will also offer free mini-massages.

Bid on prizes such as season tickets to the University of Michigan Men’s basketball games, a customized dinner for eight in your home from Chef Alex Young of Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Detroit Tigers tickets with an access pass to the Tiger Den Club Lounge and more in the silent auction.

"For each adult ticket purchased, Food Gatherers can provide more than 100 meals for Washtenaw County residents in need," according to the press release.

Tickets are $50 in advance for adults ($60 at the gate), $10 for kids ages 3-13. Kids under 3 get in free. Buy advance tickets online at www.foodgatherers.org/grillin or call 734-761-2796. Tickets may also be purchased at Zingerman’s (Delicatessen, Roadhouse and Bakehouse), Saline Picture Frame Co., Dexter Picture Frame Co. and Beezy’s Café.

Sunday, June 9, 2013. 3-8 p.m. The Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds are located at 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor. 734-429-3145.

Saline softball players hold up a district title trophy Monday in Monroe.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file

Between Saturday and Monday, ten Washtenaw County teams held up Michigan-shaped trophies over their heads.

That means the spring sports season is nearly complete, and as such so are our weekly rankings.

Of the five sports we rank every week, all are either completed or near completion. Track finished its season with state finals Saturday, while baseball, softball and soccer held district tournaments over the weekend.

That means after nine weeks our rankings will be on hiatus until football season.

Saline finished with the top spot in three of them: baseball, softball and girls track. Chelsea took the boys track top spot in the final week after winning a state title Saturday, and Pioneer finishes in our top girls soccer spot.

Baseball

1. Saline: The Hornets nearly pulled off an upset of No. 8 ranked Temperance Bedford before falling on a walk-off hit Monday afternoon.

2. Huron: The River Rats beat both their neighbors in the middle of last week’s rankings, Skyline and Dexter, en route to a district title.

3. Father Gabriel Richard: A tough schedule started to pay dividends as the Irish easily took a district title Saturday.

4. Skyline: A comeback attempt came up short as the Eagles fell to Huron in a district final.

5. Milan: The Big Reds allowed no runs in the district tournament.

Softball

1. Saline: The Hornets won a district title in extra innings over a tough Monroe team to solidify the top spot.

2. Dexter: Their first district title in 26 years keeps Dexter near the top of the rankings.

3. Chelsea: The first of our 3-4-5 teams that all lost close district semifinal games to ranked teams, the Bulldogs lost to Tecumseh.

4. Manchester: The Lady Dutch lost to No. 2 ranked Clinton 7-4 in their district semifinal.

5. Lincoln: The Railsplitters hung with Saline through the early innings of Monday’s regional semifinal.

Boys Track

Chelsea's Berkley Edwards won both sprint state titles Saturday

Latara Appleby | MLive Media Group

1. Chelsea: The Bulldogs won a Division 2 team state championship Saturday and pulled to the top of our final rankings.

2. Saline: The Hornets took a state title in the 3,200-meter relay after taking team regional and league titles.

3. Pioneer: The Pioneers finished four spots behind Saline at the Division 1 meet and had the best individual finish with Tyler Leach’s pole vault runner-up.

4. Gabriel Richard: The Irish’s 400-meter relay took home a state title to lead a seventh-place team finish.

5. Lincoln: The Railsplitters were third among county teams at the SEC Championships.

Girls Track

1. Saline: A second-place finish at the Division 1 state championships marked the best-ever result for Saline.

2. Pioneer: Just like on the boys side, Pioneer was the second-best area finisher at the Division 1 state meet, behind a runner-up sprint relay.

3. Ypsilanti: Endia Francois and Cara Easley both finished All-State at Division 1.

4. Chelsea: Grace Sauers was All-State for the Bulldogs, as was the team’s 800-meter relay.

5. Dexter: Kamie Powell finished fifth in the state in pole vault for the Dreadnaughts.

Girls Soccer

Pioneer girls soccer celebrates during its win over Skyline.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

1. Pioneer: The Pioneers peaked at the right time and avenged a loss against Skyline with a 3-0 district title win.

2. Saline: An easier district draw benefitted Saline, and the Hornets didn’t open regional play until Wednesday.

3. Skyline: The Eagles won their first SEC Red title outright but stumbled in a district final against Pioneer.

4. Dexter: The Dreadnaughts had a tough district draw and fell in double overtime to Mason.

5. Manchester: Coach Mark Davis called the Lady Dutch the Cinderella of the Division 4 tournament after a regional semifinal win Tuesday night.

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.

Douglas C. Kelley, 84, of Ann Arbor, participated in the program. He told stories of how he met Eleanor Roosevelt and the early days of the Peace Corps.

Janet Miller for AnnArbor.com

From meeting Eleanor Roosevelt when he was a teenager to being the victim of a racists’ attack in Mississippi during Jim Crow to being on the ground floor when the Peace Corps was formed — needless to say, he's been around the block a couple times.

Now, thanks to a program at Ann Arbor’s Skyline High School, Kelley’s memories won’t be lost to history.

During the past three years and under the direction of Skyline teacher Patricia Jenkins, The Legacies Project has matched about 25 Skyline High School students with area seniors at least 70 years old. It not only teaches students technical and listening skills, it shows them how the history they've learned in the classroom plays out in the real world, Jenkins said.

The students in Skyline’s Communications, Media and Public Policy magnet program work in teams to interview, videotape and edit the life stories of a group of seniors. Those stories, gathered over nearly four hours of interviews, are edited into 3- to 5-minute videos premiering Thursday night at Glacier Hills Senior Living Community.

While colleges, non-profits and businesses have participated in the Legacies Project, Skyline is its first public school-based project, said Jimmy Rhoades, a founder of Nice Work Public Media, the non-profit parent organization of the Legacies Project. It is underwritten by private donations at no cost to the school district, Rhoades said.

The project has a number of goals, including teaching students technical skills and interviewing skills, as well as aiming to empowers the elderly. “Psychologists don’t call it oral history. They call it life review,” Rhoades said. “Participants begin to see the narrative arch of their lives and realize that they’ve done things, that they’ve been on a journey. That’s what the research says. But in talking to the participants, they simply say it’s fun.”

Skyline juniors Maddi Hagan, 16, and Jeramiah Clark, 17, participated in the project where students videotaped the oral histories of a small group of area seniors. It's part of the magnet program at Skyline, Communications, Media and Public Policy. The videos will be shown June 6 at Glacier Hills.

Janet Miller for AnnArbor.com

But, ultimately, it’s meant to bridge the together generations and record stories from an era that’s ending, Rhoades said.

Kelley’s stories spanned from the time he met the former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1946 as part of the first Encampment for Citizenship — where young people from different backgrounds gathered to learn about democratic action and social living — to a decade later when he was attacked on the racially-segregated Mississippi State University campus with a Coke bottle by a young man who didn’t like his liberal views.

While he received seven stitches, Kelley said he learned another lesson when the police weren’t willing to press charges. “I understood at that moment what African Americans had to go through for centuries, assuming that the law was not on your side. That the law was not able to help you.” Kelley said.

While he told stories of his time working for the emerging Peace Corp, his work with the Democratic Party and his career working in continuing education, he left something’s out, Kelley said. “I didn’t get into hitchhiking on my honeymoon in India.”

It’s important to find a diverse group of seniors to tell their stories, Rhoades said, and they recently have reached out to the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor as well as the Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor. They looked to retirement homes and churches for seniors.

Jeramiah Clark, a 17-year-old junior. said he’s more of a tech-guy, and hadn’t spent much time thinking about the stories of the older generation.

That is, until he sat down with Virginia Sargent. He learned about family secrets, the conflict that came from having one parent who was German while the other was Jewish and Sargent’s elaborate marionette collection. “Usually, like with my grandmother, it’s (the older generation) coming into your world,” Jeramiah said. “But this was the opposite. It was us coming into their world.”

Maddi Hagan, a 16-year-old junior, said she was aware of the differences between her and Hortense Howard, the senior she interviewed. There was age, of course, but also background: Howard was one of nine children in a household where religion was central. But they connected on the subject of music, even though their musical tastes are different. “I have a great passion for music and she had a great passion for music,” Maddi said. “I saw how music affects us in similar ways. She told us how she skipped school once to see a concert. If that time ever came for me, I’d probably do the same thing.”

The idea for the Legacies Project came from Rhoades’ own story. His father was dying when Rhoades realized he wanted to make up for lost time.

“You know how it is: Your parents tell you the same five stories over and over. I wanted to get past the five stories. It was profound and it changed the trajectory of my life.,” he said. While Rhoades listened to his father’s stories, he regrets not videotaping them. But that won’t happen with the participants in the Legacies Project.

There is a publically-accessible on-line video archive of the stories hosted by the Ann Arbor District Library. The Legacies Project continues to look for funding, Rhoades said.

For more information, go to http://www.legaciesproject.org/.

The videos will be shown beginning at 7 p.m. at Glacier Hills, 1200 Earhart Road and is free and open to the public.

Ypsilanti firefighter Fred Williams III checks over the power tools on tower ladder one during his weekly check of the tower ladder.

Courtney Sacco I AnnArbor.com

The Michigan Professional Firefighter's Union president has cautioned the city of Ypsilanti from moving forward with a plan to establish a hybrid police and fire department, saying it would greatly impact the level of services citizens receive and not save the city any money.

"I think it's a significant change," said Mark Docherty, the MPFFU president in a presentation on Tuesday. "There are only 35 PSO departments in Michigan and 125 nationally. The next state with the most is Florida with eight. It's not a common practice. It is a rarity to see and I think it's worth talking about before we go forward in this move."

The presentation almost didn't happen after several Ypsilanti City Council members said they weren't in favor of it due to ongoing contract negotiations with the fire department.

In May, Council Member Susan Moeller requested the presentation, PSO Facts vs. Myths, be added to a future council meeting after being approached by Ypsilanti Fire Union President Ken Hobbs.

Moeller initially failed to secure a second in favor of the presentation, but eventually Council Member Ricky Jefferson seconded it, saying he supported city employees having the chance to speak before council about issues.

Docherty believes there are several misconceptions regarding hybrid departments, including the fact that a municipality can stop the transition to public safety at any time without incurring any additional costs or repercussions.

"The transition to public safety can be stopped but not without additional cost," Docherty said. "Once police officers are trained as firefighters under a public safety system they are entitled to the additional pay even if the municipality switches back."

Docherty said Meridian Township, which has switched back to traditional fire and police departments, was taken to arbitration by the Police Officers Association of Michigan before the Michigan Employment Relations Commission because the union wanted to uphold a pay increase that the employees received when they became cross-trained.

Docherty said the township still is required to pay the cross-trained officers the higher rate, even though the public safety department no longer exists.

"Meridian Township is one that went to hybrid model and went backwards because it failed," Docherty said. "The arbitrator ruled that even though they weren't doing that task anymore, they couldn't take the money away."

Katrease Stafford | AnnArbor.com

Ypsilanti just approved a contract with the POAM, which has elements of the hybrid public safety department in it that would be enforced if the city officially moves toward that department.

The contract states public safety officers would receive a 7 percent raise.

Docherty said he believes that in almost case of a public safety department being created, the police department fares better.

"It’s win-win for them," he said.

Ypsilanti Police Chief Amy Walker has a completely different view though.

"This issue has never been about police over fire, or fire over police," Walker told AnnArbor.com. "For those that may attempt to do that, it is unfortunate for them. We share the same oath of protecting our citizens and stand side by side on emergency runs helping one another, we need everyone to work together."

Walker said the POAM in ratifying their contract, gave concessions and opened their minds to public safety. POAM President Robert Peto previously told AnnArbor.com initially, he was heavily against the creation of the model, but compromised for the good of the community.

"To insinuate that they did it for a 7 percent raise if they become a public safety officer is an insult to their dedication to this city and the hard work they put in each and every day as police officers," Walker said.

"They did not even take a raise for the next couple years of their contract as police officers understand the city’s financial hardship. A 7 percent raise if and when public safety officers are determined and implemented by the city is minimal for taking on an additional full-time responsibility."

Ypsilanti is projecting it will save $2.1 million during the next five years with the creation of a hybrid police and fire department.

Documents previously obtained by AnnArbor.com state the city may spend $663,480 during the next four years to train new and existing officers, about $75,000 on uniforms and equipment, as well as several other fees totaling $943,480. The city believes it will find about $210,315 in short-term savings in one year or less and save $2,103,153 throughout the next five years.

The city said estimated annual long-term savings will amount to $420,631. A full conversion to the hybrid model is expected by 2016, according to the documents.

It would cost between $31,000 and $33,000 per individual to cross train firefighters and officers.

Docherty said public safety departments do not save cities money.

"I argue that is not realistic," Docherty said. "We have not yet heard how that is going to be accomplished. You have an understaffed police department and fire department. How do you train them to do each others jobs?"

Citing Kalamazoo as an example, he said if the city were to switch back to traditional departments, it would realize an annual savings of more than $7.8 million. Docherty said nearly all cities save more money with traditional departments.

City Manager Ralph Lange said no comment from the city would be made regarding the presentation, citing concerns about negotiations.

"We were advised by our two attorneys to not respond," Lange said.

Walker said she believes the city is moving in the right direction and her department will transition through whatever is decided.

Council member Susan Moeller

.Courtney Sacco I AnnArbor.com

"The city is moving in the right direction and there is plenty of work to do, so whatever is decided, the police department will continue to serve the public on patrol, day and night, for any type of public safety call that arises, even fire calls, to lend the assistance needed to help our citizens," Walker said.

Docherty said he believes the city should move forward with regionalization.

"We are supporting regionalization," he said. "This is done everywhere in the nation but here. There should be regionalization talks among the police, too. I know this is a heated issue, but far too often when cities consider this, they’re hearing from the police department, 'yes we can do this. We know what we’re doing with the fire service.' The scariest thing is a PSO fire officer that thinks they can go in and do the same thing we do."

Several firefighters have spoken in favor of regionalization in the past, including the former Chief Jon Ichesco, who also spoke at the meeting during public participation. Ichesco urged the city to consider regionalization, saying the citizens should be the ones to decide what they want through a vote.

"It should be allowed through the constituents," Ichesco said. "It's the people in the city that dictate the level of services that they want."

Walker said she believes officers within her department would be able to handle the new responsibilities, but the two departments must work together in order for the city to move forward.

"The city manager is deciding to move toward public safety and that is what the police department is attempting to prepare to do," Walker said. "The reality is that many cities do have successful public safety departments in various consolidations throughout Michigan and the United States. If regionalization is one of the solutions for the fire department, then that is fine as well." Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.

Editor's note: This is part of a series of articles about local companies surviving the economic downturn.

Recessions make life difficult for large companies, which provides opportunities for smaller, cheaper, newer alternatives to make inroads into their markets.

Duo Security co-founder and CEO Dug Song has helped start two companies during recessions because he believes that the opportunities presented are perfectly tailored to computer-security services sector he has helped pioneer in Ann Arbor.

Dug Song (right) founded Duo Security in the Tech Brewery before moving the company to new offices in Kerrytown last year.

Mark Bialek | For AnnArbor.com

Duo Security, co-founded with chief technology officer Jon Oberheide, develops two-factor authentication software that helps secure websites and information by requiring a second form of log-in often linked to a phone.

Song said the company has grown from just the two co-founders in 2010 to approximately 35 people in its new Kerrytown office. The company moved downtown in late 2012 after outgrowing its initial home in the Tech Brewery, a startup workspace that Song also helped found.

As with most startups, once acceleration starts the plan calls for rapid growth to continue. Song plans to add approximately 15 new employees before the end of 2013 and continue expanding his footprint in the former Bay Design building.

“The goal is always to grow. We don’t really want to build a small company,” he said.

“Part of the reason that we’re doing Duo is because Arbor Networks was somewhat limited. …We ran out of green fields at Arbor, which, in its lifetime over 10 years has only ever had about 400 customers. We have more customers with Duo in three years with fewer people. It’s a much broader opportunity.”

Duo Security’s customers include three of the top five social media networks and more than 1,500 other clients spread across approximately 80 countries. Information security is a hot market due to risks of cyber-attacks and sophisticated hackers making high-profile thefts of codes and passwords more and more common.

Being in a hot market also means a lot of competition, and that is partly why Song prefers to work in recessions. Having started multiple companies, he knows that not every startup will succeed, and the difficult sales conditions and lack of available venture and angel capital during periods of economic stagnation or contraction can hurt many companies in their earliest stages.

“Recessions are good for startups that know what they are doing because they clear the playing field of competitors,” he said.

For those software startups that do survive economic downturns, the circumstances can be the perfect because people and companies are more willing to listen to a sales pitch because they are already hunting for cheap alternatives.

“When you get into a recession, so are your potential customers,” he said.

“So if you’re a very lightweight capital efficient software startup and you can deliver products in ways that big companies can’t because they’re bloated and inefficient, you’re now at a major advantage.”

One place where emerging from a recession can be beneficial to startup companies is that investors gain confidence in the market and are more willing to invest in riskier ventures like startups. For Duo Security, which raised approximately $6 million in 2012, Song said more venture capital will likely be needed to continue or even accelerate the company’s pace of growth.

“Capital is oxygen to a company,” he said.

“While we’ll be cash flow positive shortly, the question is how do we capture the energy to grow the company quickly enough to compete with [current industry leader] RSA.”

As Duo Security continues to grow, Song has also kept his eyes on other projects in Ann Arbor that he helps nurture. Multiple companies that were formerly in the Tech Brewery are now operating in offices adjacent to Duo’s new home.

Creating a vibrant startup ecosystem begins with serial entrepreneurs mentoring younger first-time executives. Song said Ann Arbor is just waiting for one company to make a major exit that could really put the area on the map as a global technology center.

“I’m really excited about software startups and I know there’s a lot of good activity here in Ann Arbor,” he said.

“This is considered a major place for life science and pharmaceutical startups in large part because of Esperion’s first $1 billion purchase by Pfizer. We’ve had multi-hundred million dollar exits here with Arbor Networks, Accuri Cytometers, HealthMedia, and HandyLab. Those are base hits, we’re looking for a home run.”

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2.