We're looking for your suggestions for the best brewery in the area. Nominate your favorite brewery in the comments below.

Whose IPA gets you hopping? Whose porter fills you with longing? Where do you go for a great lager? Whether it's bottled or on draft, we want to know.

We'll take your responses here and create a poll on Thursday. Make sure to come back and vote. Gonzo will be visiting our top reader favorites and will weigh them against the best beer from across the state to determine the winner of Michigan's Best Brewery.

Have a favorite brewer outside of Washtenaw County? We're looking for those too. Make sure to include the brewery name and Michigan city, and we'll pass your suggestions along to Gonzo.

Jessica Webster leads the Food & Grocery section for AnnArbor.com, a part of the MLive Media Group. Reach her at JessicaWebster@annarbor.com. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

It might be commonly thought that women suffer from depression more than men, but The Boston Globe reports that a recent University of Michigan study found men are just as likely as women to get the blues if alternative symptoms are considered.

U-M researchers surveyed 3,000 women and 2,000 men, looking for alternative symptoms not included in the standard criteria used to diagnose depression, such as anger, aggression, risk taking and substance abuse.

The Globe reports that researchers found 26 percent of men and 22 percent of women had such symptoms, while 31 percent of men and 33 percent of women displayed traditional symptoms of depression, such as sadness and tiredness.

"When alternative and traditional symptoms are combined, sex disparities in the prevalence of depression are eliminated," the study's abstract reads.

The study was published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal in August.

• Read the full Globe report.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Shannon Blick

Courtesy of AAPS

Blick is the principal at Wildwood Elementary School in the Wayne-Westland Community Schoolsdistrict. She has served as a teacher and as a principal in that district for a total of nine years.

In addition to a bachelor's degree in elementary education and educational specialist certificate in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University, Blick has a master's degree in elementary reading and literacy from Walden University, an accredited online university based in Minnesota.

She will begin her position with Ann Arbor Public Schools Sept. 16.

Blick’s starting pay is $98,575, according to district officials. Elementary principals at AAPS earn salaries in the range of $96,975 to $109,515, according to the Ann Arbor Administrators Association.

The principal position at Lawton has been open since late July when former Principal Amy Conway resigned for a job as an assistant superintendent of school improvement for Gibraltar School District, which is near Detroit.

Conway was employed by AAPS for three years, which she spent at Lawton.

Conway’s job was posted July 30. Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift interviewed candidates for the Lawton principal job Aug. 27.

The Lawton principal position was the only principal position that AAPS had to fill for the new school year.

Five other schools have new leaders for the 2013-14 school year: Principal Hyeuo Park at Bach Elementary School, Principal Chuck Hatt at Burns Park Elementary School, Principal Melita Alston at Pattengill Elementary School, Principal Che Carter at Clague Middle School and Principal Cory McElmeel at Skyline High School.

Hatt and Carter were both internal hires, while Park, Alston and McElmeel worked for other districts at the time they were hired by AAPS.

Amy Biolchini is the K-12 education reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

Ypsilanti senior Mike Caldwell, 1, tries to breakaway from Milan’s Ryan Faulkner, 66. Faulkner left the game early with an injury.

Patrick Record | AnnArbor.com file

The Hornets and Grizzlies teamed up to pull off the fourth-quarter comeback.

Down by about 50 votes in the early afternoon to Milan’s game at Riverview, Saline’s game against Ypsilanti amassed more than 300 votes in the final four hours to come back and win our poll by a final tally of 1,306 to 1,208.

In all, we had more than 2,800 votes cast in the four-day voting period.

That means we will have a preview of the Saline-Ypsilanti game Thursday, followed by a live chat from Saline High School Friday, plus multiple game stories and photos.

The Hornets opened up their 2013 season with a resounding 42-0 win over London A.B. Lucas, while Ypsilanti dropped a close game to Milan in its first contest as a combined program.

Children at a Saline elementary school had to start the school year without their play structure, after an arsonist burned the building Tuesday morning, according to a report in the Saline Reporter.

According to the report, Saline police and firefighters responded to Pleasant Ridge Elementary School just after midnight Tuesday for a fire. Investigators said the playground equipment was fully engulfed with flame.

Firefighters managed to quell the fire but the playground was a total loss. There were no suspects.

• Read the full report in the Saline Reporter.

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

Cierra Broach made history Tuesday morning.

Along with more than 600 other ninth- to 12th-grade students, 15-year-old Cierra walked through the doors of the new Ypsilanti Community High School to the first day of classes. Ever.

Financially struggling Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts, which had been shedding students for years, were consolidated last year to create the new Ypsilanti Community School District. The district was officially launched July 1 and Tuesday was the first day of classes.

It was, said teacher Pam Vincent, a new beginning.

“How many times in your career do you have the chance to hit the reset button?” she said.

Vincent had taught English at Ypsilanti High School for a decade and she said she’s never felt the energy or optimism that flooded the halls Tuesday.

“It feels more active, more alive,” Vincent said. “We’re absolutely making history.”

The day was not without glitches, large and small. About 120 students were without class schedules, said Principal Justin Jennings, who came to YCSD from the Holland Public School District a month ago.

Many of the students without schedules hadn’t registered, he said. About 520 students had registered and about 20 of those didn’t attend the first day. Three counselors worked throughout the day creating schedules. Still, about 90 students still didn’t have schedules at day’s end.

Any first day of school has its problems, Jennings said. Creating a new high school with students coming from a number of sources is bound to have challenges, he said. “Actually, it wasn’t as bad as expected.”

On a smaller scale: Cierra missed her bus (it came 10 minutes earlier than scheduled, she said) and she had to take her first-ever cab ride. The lunchroom was cheek to jowl. And the bus stop at the end of the day when school was dismissed was managed chaos.

But the rivalry that at least some students feared never appeared. None of the more than a dozen students and staff members interviewed at day’s end saw tension between former Willow Run and Ypsilanti students, despite a cross-town rivalry that existed for decades.

“Everybody made it seem like there was a rivalry,” said Daje Bell, 14, who attended Huron High School last year. “But when I got here this morning, that was proved wrong. People are all friendly,” she said.

“The kids have been great,” Jennings said. “It’s been a smooth transition.”

Junior Tristin Johnson, 16, called his first day amazing, if not a little crowded. He’s worried there won’t be enough lockers for everyone. But cross-town tension? None, he said.

Cierra, who lives around the corner from Willow Run High School and attended the school for ninth grade, said she saw no hard feelings between students. “It’s nice having different people around,” she said. As a member of the cheerleading team, she’s learning to be a Grizzly, the school’s new mascot.

There are a number of changes that will improve the school, Vincent, the English teacher, said. An advisory period has been added and upperclassmen will be able to earn college credit when Eastern Michigan University offers a drama class at the high school. There are more electives. The school has been divided into two distinct schools within a school, University High and STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Manufacturing) Academy. And there will be an instructional advocate for students who need extra help.

The staff, after spending last year steeped in the uncertainty, is pumped, said Vincent, who is leader of the University High learning community.

“We were like kids on Christmas Eve when we couldn’t go to sleep. Now it’s Christmas morning and it’s better than we ever imagined,” she said. Three of the staff members at YCHS are freshly minted teachers, and taught their first day of class Tuesday, Vincent said.

Not everyone was happy with all of the changes, though. It was a rough start for Brea Brown, 16. She arrived to discover she didn’t have a schedule and spent most of the day sitting in the auditorium.

“They’re unorganized,” she said. The lunchroom was too crowded, a big change from last year when she was a freshman at YHS. And she’s not fond of the new school colors, gold and black. “They’re boring,” she said.

Principal Jennings delivered a tough love speech to students at the end of the first day.

“This is not going to be a warm and fuzzy speech,” said Jennings, a former basketball star. There would be no hats or sagging pants and no scanty outfits, he said. There would be no cellphones and no bathroom passes (at least for now) and students would come to class on time.

“My expectations for you are probably higher than your expectations for yourself,” he said.

As the first class of YCHS, Jennings told students they were special and that they are expected to come together.

“There is no more Ypsilanti High School. There is no more Willow Run. It’s over. Everyone here is part of Ypsilanti Community High. You guys have a chance to do something special.”

Janet Miller is a freelance reporter.

Chelsea High School quarterback Scott Crews, center, celebrates his touchdown against Lansing Sexton.

Brianne Bowen | AnnArbor.com file photo

We’ve got another great slate of high school football games coming up in Week 3. And once again, we’re looking for your help in determining which one is best.

For the next two days, we’re looking for nominations for our third AnnArbor.com Game of the Week. Jump in the comments section and leave us a quick note on why your team’s game should be one of the five included in our poll, which opens Friday.

Noteworthy in Week 3 is Southeastern Conference teams playing crossovers a week before divisional play begins. That includes the two teams atop the AnnArbor.com power rankings, Saline and Chelsea, who resume their rivalry after a two-year hiatus. The game had been played every year since at least 1950 before that.

Pioneer will play its first home game when it hosts Tecumseh that same night.

Whitmore Lake opens its Tri-County schedule against Britton-Deerfield, while Milan continues its Huron League slate against Monroe Jefferson and Father Gabriel Richard hosts Tawas Area on Saturday.

We’ll go from 10 games down to five Friday, when our poll opens. And on Tuesday at 6 p.m., we’ll be down to one, our third AnnArbor.com Game of the Week.

Week 3 Schedule
Dexter at Monroe
Monroe Jefferson at Milan
Saline at Chelsea
Skyline at Adrian, 7 p.m. Thursday
Tawas Area at Father Gabriel Richard, 1 p.m. Saturday
Tecumseh at Pioneer
Temperance Bedford at Lincoln
Vandercook Lake at Manchester
Whitmore Lake at Britton-Deerfield
Ypsilanti at Huron, 7 p.m. Thursday

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.

When it came time for the University Musical Society to kick off its 2013-2014 season, programmers decided to opt for something outside their usual box.

Hence, Hill Auditorium will sit this opener out as UMS instead presents a down-home neighborhood party at Ann Arbor’s historic Downtown Home & Garden barn Friday evening. Headliner Jason Moran will offer piano riffs inspired by the late 1920s-30s jazz great Fats Waller, while singer/bass player Meshell Ndegeocello will provide the vocals.

Jason Moran

publicity photo

Regional and local draft beers and wine from adjoining Bill’s Beer Garden, and ethnic dishes from the eight food carts of Mark’s Carts will complement pianist, bandleader and MacArthur Fellow Moran and Ndegeocello in their 21st-century interpretation of Waller’s songbook.

Attendees will be able to move freely between Bill’s Beer Garden, Mark’s Carts and the 1906-built barn, where the Moran’s ensemble will be set up (there will be very limited, bleacher-style seating available). And although some of Waller’s tunes will be instantly recognizable, Moran does not cover the songs note for note.

“We take the music and we put it through an R&B filter or a funk filter or house music filter or Afrobeat filter,” he said.

“I think some of the tunes are pretty simple. … You’ll be able to tell what ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ is, or ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ or the ‘Joint is Jumping.’ We really play them pretty close, but add all this stuff in it. I think people who love Fats Waller will hear some of the songs. Some songs we pull them far away. A song like ‘Jitterbug Waltz,’ we’ve made a sound in 4/4 (time) - it’s a very slow R&B, kind of like a slow dance. So some of the pieces have been moved dramatically from where they started, while other pieces still maintain the bounce that Fats Waller had.”

For part of the show, Moran will don a big Fats Waller mask made by artist Didier Civil. “I wear it for about half of the performance. It adds this other bizarre element to this experience,” said Moran. “We want people to have fun, I like to have fun, and Fats Waller’s music is a great kind of conduit for everyone to ride on.”

Maija Garcia, an Ann Arbor native, Bill T. Jones Dancer, collaborator on Broadway’s hit “Fela!” and director of the theater arts organization Organic Magnetic, is also coming, with one other dancer.

“They will warm up the crowd and teach them some of the choreography that’s specific to this Fats Waller dance party,” Jacobson said.

This is not Moran’s first time appearing here courtesy UMS. He performed in Ann Arbor in 2007 as a solo pianist in a double bill with Joe Lovano at the Michigan Theater, and he returned in 2011 with the Charlie Lloyd Quartet.

“As a programmer, I really wanted to take this program out of the traditional concert hall and bring the excitement of this music to the people in a more egalitarian setting,” Jacobson said.

He saw Moran’s performance recently at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and called it “really quite joyous and quite exceptional conceptually. Jason and Meshell have really worked hard at showing that Fats Waller’s music is still relevant and intriguing in 2013.”

Jacobson encouraged people to arrive in advance of the show’s start time to enjoy all the unusual setting has to offer.

“Get there early. Get some beer and wine. The Beer Garden and Mark’s Carts will open at 6 p.m., two hours before the music starts. “The idea is to arrive early and support the cards, support some of the local businesses and food vendors.

“I think it’s going to be a hot ticket,” he added.

The Kerrytown BookFest will bring book lovers out to the Farmers Market on Sunday, September 8.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Now in its 11th year, BookFest is doing fine financially, said President Robin Agnew, who is also co-owner of Aunt Agatha’s bookstore. “We’re holding our own,” she said. “ … We’re terrible fundraisers, but I have to say, if it were up to me, I’d like to raise more to pay the authors more. They’re taking time and traveling, in some cases. It’s wonderful what people have been willing to do for the event.”

Indeed. The BookFest has an all-volunteer board — this is Agnew’s second year as president — and partly because a primary sponsor is the Michigan Humanities Council, the event keeps most of its focus on Michigan-based authors and book artisans.

“With such a big variety, there’s a topic for everyone,” said Agnew. “You may not be someone interested in the auto industry, but you might like mysteries. And there will be 120 vendors this year.”

The marquee events this year, happening mostly in the main tent, involve five panel discussions:

• From Motown to Iggy Pop, featuring Peter Benjaminson (author of “Mary Wells”) and Steve Miller (“Detroit Rock City”)
• Automobiles and the Industry, featuring former GM vice chairman Bob Lutz ("Icons and Idiots"), Steve Lehto (“Chrysler’s Turbine Car”) and Detroit News auto writer Bryce Hoffman (“American Icon”)
• Vanishing Cities, with Gordon Young (“Teardown”), Detroit Free Press reporter John Gallagher (“Revolution Detroit”), June Thomas (“Redevelopment and Race”) and Edward McClelland (“Nothin’ but Blue Skies”)
• Cherchez la Femme, back by popular demand, with Bonnie Jo Campbell, Lolita Hernandez, Natalie Bakopulos and poet Susan Ramsey
• And in Kerrytown Concert House, Benjamin Percy (“Red Moon”) and Matt Bell (“In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods”) will discuss the literary, the supernatural, and the strange

Each year, those who simply love to read, as well as those who also aspire to write themselves, come out to enjoy BookFest.

“I always have such great conversations with people,” said Agnew. “Usually it’s while waiting in line to buy a book. You suddenly find yourself talking about Austen or something. And it’s always great to see so many children and young people who are excited about reading.”

Winners of the 6th annual book cover contest — wherein high school students were asked to re-design a book cover for William Kent Krueger’s “Iron Lake” — will be announced (submissions will be on display at Aunt Agatha’s, Crazy Wisdom, Literati and Nicola’s through Sept. 10). In addition, children’s authors like Shutta Crum, Nancy Shaw and Deborah Diesen, along with illustrators like David Katrow and Ruth McNally Barshaw, will appear, and kids can hear stories, make handmade books and participate in an illustration workshop.

And, of course, attendees get to be outside and enjoy the day.

“It’s a fabulous venue,” said Agnew. “We’re so lucky. If we hadn’t had the farmers market as a venue, we might not still be around. It’s just perfect for us.”

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.

Nine students from the Ann Arbor Public School District's class of 2013 earned a 36 -- the highest possible score -- on the ACT college admissions exam.

Several students in Washtenaw County scored a 36 on the ACT.

In addition to the nine Ann Arbor students from the class of 2013, six from the class of 2014 and two from the class of 2015 also received a top score on the exam, which is made up of four multiple-choice tests: English, mathematics, reading and science, as well as an optional writing test. One student each from Saline High School, the Early College Alliance in Ypsilanti and Father Gabriel High School in Ann Arbor Township earned a top score as well.

Of the more than 1.8 million students in the United States who took the exam this year, only 1,162 earned a composite score of 36. On average, less than one-tenth of one percent of all test takers earn the top score, according to ACT Public Relations Representative Katie Wacker.

While a top score is a rare and remarkable achievement, it is not uncommon for Ann Arbor Public Schools to have multiple students receive a 36 in one year, Ann Arbor Public Schools Spokeswoman Liz Nowland-Margolis said.

“We're very proud of those students and their success. We're always proud of our students, although this is actually a little bit of a down year for us,” Margolis said. "We're used to seeing multiple students receive a perfect score."

Huron High School Principal Arthur Williams said the number of students receiving top scores are similar to past years.

“Typically we have between 4 and 5 students at Huron score a 36 each year,” Williams said. “We even had 11 students receive a top score in 2011. I would say that’s atypical for most schools. It’s not normal for schools to have any students receive a top score, actually.”

Eighty-five students at Huron High School scored in the 95th percentile, which means they received a score of 30 or higher, Williams said.

“For the Michigan graduating class of 2013, 81 students scored a top score of 36,” Wacker said. “A composite score of 36 is a remarkable achievement. Even one student scoring a 36 at any given school is something for that student, the student’s parents and the school to be proud of.”

Williams said the success of students is a group effort

“It has a lot to do with this community,” Williams said of the student’s success. “This is a community where there is excellence not only in the educational environment, but also in the homes of the students.”

The curriculum also lends a hand to the students’ test taking abilities, Williams said.

“We have numerous advanced placement courses available and those rigorous classes help to prepare students,” Williams said. “It’s a wonderful place for students to come to each day, to work in and do well in.”

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

Ypsilanti residents will likely see an increase on their bi-monthly water and sewer bills.

If proposed new rates are approved, an average user’s combined bill from the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority would climb by $5.87 per bi-monthly bill, or 4.14-percent, including a surcharge for debt capital improvement costs that will decrease from 68-to 67-percent.

The average city of Ypsilanti user, which is typically a family of four, uses between 1600 and 2000 cubic feet bi-monthly.

At its Sept. 3 meeting, the Ypsilanti City Council approved the first reading of separate ordinances for each of the increases and decrease. A second reading is expected at the next regular meeting.

YCUA Executive Director Jeff Castro

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

YCUA executive director Jeff Castro said the rate increases are a result of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department passing on a 6.3-percent increase in its fixed rate to the YCUA. No matter how little a consumer uses, they are automatically charged a minimum, or fixed, rate.

Castro said water usage in Michigan is dropping in general and the DWSD needs to make up for those lost revenues by increasing the fixed rate, though the YCUA was able to lessen the increase passed on to its customers.

“We were able to reduce to 5 percent due to containment of other costs,” Castro said. “The authority has been managed well over last several years and reduced costs and reduced staff through attrition.”

The city division of the YCUA is overwhelmingly residential and institutional, Castro said, and the authority expects stable water and sewer usage over the next two years. The city has seen a 7.9-percent decrease in water usage over the last five years.

Council Member Susan Moeller questioned why, if less water is used, rates continue to increase.

YCUA officials explained that there is a fixed cost to providing water and sewer, and spreading it over smaller base increases payments for each customer.

“Unfortunately when consumption decreases, costs go up. (DWSD) must recover that cost to pay for their debt,” Castro said.

“There’s no profit or trying to build or expand on people’s water rates,” added Mike Bodary, a former city council member who is now the city’s representative on the YCUA board.

Moeller also questioned what happens if City Council votes against the increase, to which Council Member Brian Robb responded "Then the YCUA looks like the bad guy because you voted against increasing water bills."

Castro clarified that rates will still go up, even up if Council doesn't approve the recommendation from the YCUA that it should.

Moeller subsequently voted against the water and sewer increases, but not the reduction in debt payments.

The last YCUA rate increase was in October of 2012.

Ypsilanti Township recently approved a first reading of slightly higher increases for customers there. Township and city governments will vote on a second reading of the ordinances at their upcoming meetings.

University of Michigan has adopted a new sexual misconduct policy.

A student studies near the Diag on the University of Michigan's first day of fall 2013 classes Tuesday.

Brianne Bowen | AnnArbor.com

Under the new policy, all allegations of sexual misconduct made against students will be reviewed by the university's Title IX coordinator. The previous policy was complaint-driven, meaning the university did not pursue or investigate a complaint unless asked to by a complainant.

The interim procedure also uses a “more likely than not preponderance of the evidence” standard to evaluate an allegation, where previously the university used a “clear and convincing evidence" standard. That means it's easier to be found responsible for sexual misconduct under the new policy, which university officials say will lead to more accountability.

U-M was prompted to redraft its sexual misconduct policy when the U.S. Department of Education in 2011 urged schools to change how they respond to sexual misconduct allegations among students.

The policy, which applies to all U-M students as well as participants in university-sponsored programs, took effect Aug. 19 as students began returning to campus.

Under the new guidelines, the process to appeal a sexual misconduct ruling has also been expanded. Also, sexual misconduct incidents are now reported to the office for institutional equity, as opposed to the office of student conflict resolution as they were before.

In 2011-12, sexual assault and harassment reports comprised 12.5 percent of the 497 student code violations reported to the University of Michigan office of student conflict resolution. The 62 reported violations involving students included 38 reported sexual assaults and 24 sexual harassment incidents.

Students found in violation of the policy are subject to various disciplinary procedures, including a formal reprimand, workshop attendance, probation, community service and suspension. The violations are separate from criminal charges.

The school's new sexual misconduct policy is similar to the interim policy that was in place for about two years before the most recent change.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

The Buffalo Wild Wings planning to open in the former Damon’s Grill location near Briarwood Mall will have new outdoor patio seating, according to plans submitted to the city.

JK&T Wings, the franchisee that will operate the location, purchased the property in June and announced plans to open for business sometime in late fall 2013.

The former Damon's Grill will re-open as a Buffalo Wild Wings once renovations and a new outdoor seating area are complete.

AnnArbor.com file photo

“The one we have now is on campus so there’s not a lot of parking and it can be tough for families to go to. The new location gives us the opportunity to get more involved in the Ann Arbor community and appeal to the masses.”

According to plans submitted to the city, the new restaurant will have outdoor seating in the front and along the site of the restaurant. The plans will also increase bio-retention on the property, bring the building’s landscaping up to current code and reconfigure the parking lot as part of the renovation.

McClellan said that once the new restaurant opens it will employ approximately 100 people including servers, cooks and the restaurant management team.

The Damon’s Grill that had been operating at 3150 Boardwalk Dr. closed February 24 after the business was “not able to sustain itself” according to franchise spokesman Jason No.

The property was purchased by JK&T for $1.9 million, according to city records. California-based investor Ronald Campos bought the building in 2006 for nearly $3.5 million.

Cincinnati-based Intertech Design Services, Inc. is the architect for the project and Southfield firm Atwell, LLC, is doing the engineering work.

The designs will need to be approved by the Ann Arbor Planning Commission and City Council before the project can move forward. JK & T chief operating officer Brian Carmody said the company is waiting for permuting approval before setting a construction timeline and potential opening date.

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

This map produced by the Environmental Health Division of the Washtenaw County Department of Public Health shows the latest estimation of the footprint of the Pall-Gelman 1,4-dioxane plume. Local officials say the contamination is spreading through a system of underground streams, contaminating the groundwater in those areas. Download larger version.

Courtesy of Washtenaw County Department of Public Health

By a 9-0 vote, the City Council approved a resolution that urges the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to use the best science available about 1,4-dioxane to set stricter cleanup criteria for the cancerous pollutant found in the groundwater on the city's west side.

"It is way overdue that the DEQ do something," said Mayor John Hieftje, who joined Council Members Sabra Briere and Chuck Warpehoski in sponsoring the resolution.

Based on a toxicological review from 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now thinks dioxane is even more cancerous than previously believed.

John Hieftje

The state DEQ for the last several years has enforced a cleanup standard of 85 parts per billion, which is intended to result a 1 in 100,000 residual cancer risk.

Ann Arbor officials want to see the Pall-Gelman dioxane plume that's creeping further into the city's groundwater from Scio Township cleaned up to a higher standard before it hits the Huron River.

Gelman Sciences, which later became Pall Life Sciences, used the industrial solvent 1,4-dioxane in its processes for the manufacture of medical filters on Wagner Road many years ago.

Between 1966 and 1986, wastewater containing the toxic chemical was sprayed on its lawns and stored in unlined lagoons. The dioxane seeped through soil and rock layers into the groundwater and began to spread, leaving parts of the city and Scio and Ann Arbor townships contaminated.

Environmental monitoring and remediation efforts are ongoing and are being tracked by the DEQ, even as Pall announced this year it is closing its business operations here.

Roger Rayle, leader of a group called Scio Residents for Safe Water, spoke in support of the council's resolution at Tuesday's meeting.

"The DEQ has been dragging its feet on this for more than two years and they're acting like they're never going to tighten the standards," he said.

"I'll remind everyone that in 1995, when the standards were loosened under the guise of cleaning up urban brownfields, the standards were changed basically overnight to the benefit of the polluters."

The council's resolution notes the DEQ missed its self-imposed deadline of December 2012 to set new cleanup criteria based on the EPA toxicological review.

The DEQ's deadline for revising the criteria was extended until Dec. 31, 2013, but city officials said it appears unlikely even that deadline will be met now.

Sybil Kolon, the DEQ's project manager for the Pall-Gelman plume site since 1995, cited a lack of consensus between the regulated community and environmental health officials as one reason for the delay in adopting new cleanup criteria for dioxane.

"That got put off until this December and there's supposed to be a public process related to that," she said. "I'm hopeful that we're going to get news on that in the next week or so."

Council members expressed concerns Tuesday night that they still see the plume spreading, and they don't believe the most effective cleanup methods are being used. They're particularly worried what might happen if the contamination spreads to the Huron River.

About 85 percent of the city's drinking water comes from an intake pipe at Barton Pond on the Huron River, while 15 percent comes from wells located at the city's airport. The city already had to shut off a well station on the west side of the city about a decade ago because of the plume.

Given the rate the plume has moved since it first developed decades ago, Briere said, it could be 20-plus years before it gets to Barton Pond — if it even heads in that direction.

Some believe it will hit the Allen Creek before that happens and be channeled to the Huron River at a point beyond the city's drinking water supply intake. At that point, the dioxane concentrations would be diluted, Kolon said, and there are no drinking water intakes downstream from Barton.

Council Member Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward, said the dioxane plume issue has dragged on for a long time and he's not inclined to rely on the DEQ or the EPA.

He wondered what the city could do on its own — as a future contingency plan — to protect its primary drinking water source if the dioxane plume makes it to Barton Pond.

"That's the question that we need to address," he said. "I don't know if we have the wherewithal to do something like pump out Barton Pond and refill it with something else.

"But what would we do? Would we have to take it upon ourselves to filter out the dioxane before we pump water to our residents?"

He pondered whether the city might connect to the Detroit water system if Ann Arbor's drinking water supply became contaminated with dioxane.

Hieftje said he'd like to see a broader community conversation happen to address some of the longer-term concerns. He stressed there's no imminent threat to the city's water supply.

But he said he's been concerned about the dioxane issue since before he became involved in city government in 1999, and he's glad the city is pushing for action in Lansing.

"Our consultant in Lansing has been working pretty hard on this issue for quite a long time and has been working very hard this past year to keep it in front of the DEQ," he said, adding Tuesday night's unanimous resolution gives the city's consultant "a little more to work with."

Matt Naud, the city's environmental coordinator, said he's been working on the issue since the fall of 2001. Changing the statewide cleanup standards for dioxane, he said, would radically change the attention given to the Pall-Gelman plume.

Naud said the city is keeping tabs on dioxane levels in the groundwater below Ann Arbor using data from probably a couple hundred monitoring wells.

He said the city has never detected dioxane in Barton Pond. Pall also tests for dioxane where the Honey Creek meets the Huron River, Naud said, noting that will give the city an alert if there ever is an issue with contaminated water heading downstream.

Kolon, who lives in Manchester Township, said she believes public health and the environment are being protected, even though the plume is expanding further into Ann Arbor.

"We are well aware that some of the citizens have concerns about future exposure risks, including the Barton Pond issue," she said, suggesting adequate monitoring is in place to detect if the plume is moving in that direction well before it becomes a risk to the public.

"The spreading toxic plume is not a surprise," she added. "The plume is migrating, but the company has to track it and address it if it's going outside the areas where people could be exposed. There is a little bit of concern to the south and we're watching that very carefully."

But at this point, she said, there's no evidence any concentrations above 85 ppb have migrated out of the zone where groundwater use is prohibited.

Naud lamented that the DEQ allowed Pall to change its cleanup methods. Pall is now using an ozone-oxidation process to remove dioxane from water that's extracted from the ground in the plume area and then discharged to the Honey Creek.

"The DEQ allowed them to change their treatment technology and it actually puts more 1,4-dioxane and an additional carcinogen in the water instead of what they did before," Naud said.

Pall's official position has been that it's in full compliance with a consent judgment the company entered with the DEQ, which serves as the legal framework for the cleanup, and the ozone-oxidation treatment technology it's using has been approved by the state.

Bromate is a byproduct of the treatment process. Kolon said it's not allowed to be in the water Pall is discharging at greater than 10 ppb.

According to publicly available reports, Pall removed roughly 640 pounds of dioxane in the first half of this year by extracting 150 million gallons of groundwater, treating it using an ozone-oxidation process, and discharging the remaining water into the Honey Creek.

Since May 1997, when major cleanup activities started, nearly 90,000 pounds of dioxane have been removed and roughly 6.8 billion gallons of water treated and discharged.

"Based on our current law and the consent judgment, we can only do what is required under the law and we think that is being met," Kolon said. "We understand that the community doesn't want any dioxane in its water, but unfortunately that's not the standard we're able to enforce.

"That's certainly not an imminent threat," she added. "I think they're using very good technology. Could they do more? Of course."

Jane Lumm and Marcia Higgins were absent Tuesday.

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.

Stephen Ross, wearing sunglasses, sits next to Rick Snyder and Mary Sue Coleman during University of Michigan's 2011 commencement.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

• Related: Top donations to U-M

The name Stephen M. Ross is already familiar to many University of Michigan students and alumni.

The school's business college was named after the New York City real estate giant when he gave $100 million toward a new state-of-the art home for the school in 2004.

On Wednesday, Ross moved into another historic place at the university: U-M announced that he'll give a $200 million donation to fund upgrades to the business school's older buildings and renovations to buildings on the athletic campus.

Ross' lifetime donation to U-M is $313 million, making him the most generous donor in U-M history. The $200 million gift is also the largest in university history.

"Stephen Ross' vision has always been about the ability of facilities to transform the human experience," said U-M President Mary Sue Coleman in a release. "He understands the power of well-conceived spaces, and his generosity will benefit generations of Michigan students, faculty and coaches.

"This historic gift is not only an investment in the University of Michigan, but also in our state. Steve Ross believes deeply in our collective future as national and global leaders."

His most recent donation will be split evenly between the athletic campus and the business school. The athletic campus will be named the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus in the donor's honor.

The donation will count toward U-M's upcoming fundraising campaign, which Ross will chair, U-M announced Wednesday.

Over the past year U-M has secured a flurry of large donations in preparation for the campaign, including a $110 million gift from California billionaire and vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Charles Munger to build a new residence hall for graduate students.

Helen Zell, wife of billionaire real estate tycoon Sam Zell, donated $50 million in March to the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts toward a creative writing program. Also in March a foundation formed by the now-deceased Samuel and Jean Frankel gave $25 million to the U-M Cardiovascular Center to finance clinical research and patient support. In September 2012 U-M's art school was renamed the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design in honor of Penny and E. Roe Stamps, who donated $32.5 million to the school.

Ross, a 73-year-old Detroit native, earned a bachelor's degree from U-M's business school in 1962. His first gift was the first nine-figure donation to the university and one of four in the school's history, with his second gift being the fourth.

His $100 million gift supported the construction of a new, modern building for U-M's growing business program. About $50 million of the donation was distributed over the course of 10 years, with the remainder of the money as a bequest of Ross' estate.

Ross also gave a $5 million lead gift to create the Stephen M. Ross Academic Center, which provides study space on the athletic campus, and $5 million for the stadium expansion project.

According to Forbes, Ross has a $4.4 billion net worth. Ross is chairman and founder of Related Companies, which is best known for the development of Time Warner Center in New York and the 26-acre Hudson Yards development currently underway on Manhattan's west side. Ross also owns the Miami Dolphins.

With the gift, Ross also becomes the third-largest donor to a business school in the United States, according to U-M. The Ross School of Business plans to use the donation to fund:

• New spaces for students to study, collaborate and connect with each other, faculty and potential employers.
• A state-of-the-art career services space, including an enhanced recruiting center .
• A space to bring together faculty, students and corporate partners to create practice-oriented research on topics of key importance to local and global firms.
• Classrooms infused with advanced technology and innovative design to support in-person and virtual collaboration and connectivity on a global scale.
• Scholarships for Ross students.

The athletic campus will use its share to:

• Bolster its academic success programs.
• Build and develop state-of-the-art facilities.
• Create new spaces that help student-athletes develop skills for success after athletics.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Michael Smith (Javert) and Anthony Provenzola (Jean ValJean) in A2CT's production of "Les Miserables."

Photo by Mark Stein

It’s also time to check out season subscriptions! Season tickets offer significant savings over single ticket prices, access to premium seating, and other great perks, in addition to being a great way to get your theater fix all year-round! Almost all theaters in Washtenaw offer season ticket packages, so check out your favorite theater’s website for details.

Show: “Les Miserables,” music by Claude-Michel Schonberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg from the book by Victor Hugo, through September 8 Company: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Type of Company: Community Venue/location: The Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 North University, Ann Arbor Recommended ages: 10+ Description: An epic tale, Les Miserables is a story of tragedy, love, personal journeys, and redemption. Set in 19th century France, Les Mis tells the story of convict Jean Valjean, who breaks parole and runs for his life. He strives to leave his past behind to raise the orphaned Cosette, but faces repeated challenges that he struggles to overcome. Hunted through the years by the tireless policeman Javert, he encounters figures from his past that appear at the most inopportune times. When he finds himself in the midst of a revolution, he evolves again while his now-grown Cosette falls in love with a student revolutionary. He ultimately sacrifices himself to protect the people he loves. Fun fact: Advance ticket sales for the A2CT production of "Les Miserables" have been so strong that an extra performance was added on Saturday, September 7, at 2 p.m. For tickets and information: 734-971-2228, www.a2ct.org Show: “My Name is Asher Lev” by Aaron Posner, adapted from the novel by Chaim Potok, EXTENDED through September 15 Company: Performance Network Theatre Type of Company: Professional Equity (SPT) Venue/location: Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron, Ann Arbor Recommended ages: 16+ Description: Based on the famous 1972 novel by Chaim Potok, this provocative play tells the story of a boy growing up in a sheltered Hasidic community in 1950s Brooklyn, who discovers he has a prodigious talent as an artist. Struggling to reconcile his gift with the community’s Orthodox values, he immerses himself in an art form steeped in Christian imagery. When he brings forth a masterwork entitled “The Brooklyn Crucifixions,” he must decide whether or not to honor his self-expression and exhibit, potentially bringing shame on his family, his community, and even his faith. http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/performance-networks-my-name-is-asher-lev-is-a-powerful-family-portrait/ Fun fact: The first New York City Off-Broadway production of the play opened at the Westside Theater on November 28, 2012. The play won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play and the John Gassner Award. For tickets and information: 734-663-0696, www.performancenetwork.org/ Special ticket offer: Enjoy half-priced drinks ($2 beer, $3 wine) at PNT’s happy hour beginning one hour before show time.

Tuesday was the first day of school and the Pioneer High School boys soccer team started the school year off right by defeating Lincoln 8-0 at Hollway Field on Tuesday afternoon.

Patrick Record is a photographer for AnnArbor.com.

Garland Johnson

Courtesy of Washtenaw County Jail

Marquell Ganter

Courtesy of WSJ

The three teens accused of shooting at two men in Ypsilanti Township last month had their preliminary examinations adjourned Tuesday in 14A-1 District Court.

Garland Johnson, 18, Marquell Ganter, 17, and Davon Davis, 15, appeared briefly in the courtroom with their respective attorneys where they waived their rights to holding the exam within 14 days of being arraigned.

Davis was charged Aug. 22 as an adult on numerous charges including attempted to murder. Ganter and Johnson were charged the next day.

Davis wore a yellow jumpsuit from the Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention center, where he continues to be held. Judge Joseph Burke asked Davis if he understood the waiver.

"Yes, sir," Davis said.

Ganter and Johnson were brought into the courtroom from the Washtenaw County Jail, where they continue to be held on $500,000 cash bonds.

They also waived their rights to an exam to establish probable cause within 14 days.

It was not made clear in court why the defendants wanted more time before the examinations. Burke scheduled the three hearings for Sept. 17.

Police believe Johnson was the gunman who fired off five shots from the back of a Chevy Impala at two men standing in front of a residence in the 500 block of Greenlawn Avenue in Ypsilanti Township around 5:50 a.m. Aug. 21 after Johnson attempted to steal a motorcycle from the shed at the home earlier in the morning.

After two confrontations, the three teens are accused of driving by the residence on Greenlawn, when the shots were fired. The rounds hit the house and an SUV parked in the driveway.

As they attempted to get away, four suspects in the vehicle hit a parked car a few houses away and tried fleeing on foot. Deputies caught up with Davis, Ganter and Johnson on a nearby Interstate 94 off-ramp. By the time the deputies were out of the patrol vehicle and chasing the three teens on foot, Ganter had the pistol and fired it in the presence of the officers.

Ganter told police he accidentally fired the gun, which was allegedly stolen from a vehicle earlier in the month, officials said.

Deputies arrested Davis and Johnson on Tyler Road soon after the shots were fired. Ganter got away and a hours-long manhunt ensued invoking canine units and a helicopter. Ganter eventually turned himself in.

All three teens are from Ypsilanti Township and face two counts of assault with intent to murder and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.

Davis is also charged with two counts of assaulting and resisting a police officer and commission of a felony with a firearm.

Johnson is charged with possession of a firearm, assaulting or resisting a police officer, attempted breaking entering and commission of a felony in which a motor vehicle was used.

Ganter is charged with receiving and concealing a firearm, carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, assaulting or resisting a police officer and commission of a felony with a firearm.

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

Courtesy of YPD

A 21-year-old Ypsilanti woman was robbed of her cell phone at gunpoint just north of Eastern Michigan University's campus Tuesday night, police said.

The woman, who is not a student, and her boyfriend were walking in a parking lot in the 800 block of Green Road when they were approached by a man who asked them for a cigarette, according to releases from both EMU and Ypsilanti police.

The man pulled out a handgun, demanded and grabbed the woman's cell phone and ran away, police said.

There were no reported injuries.

Police used a dog to search the area but did not turn up the suspect, Ypsilanti police reported.

The suspect was described as a black man in his mid-to-late 20s. He is between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 130 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and black sweat pants and had dark hair and facial hair on his chin.

If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Detective Sergeant Tom Eberts at (734) 482-9878 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP (773-2587).

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

Police were advising motorists to avoid ramps to and from southbound U.S. 23 and Interstate 94 just after 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office issued a Nixle alert that stated the left lane of the U.S. 23 southbound ramps for I-94 was closed due to debris in the roadway.

The southbound U.S. 23 ramp to eastbound I-94 and the westbound I-94 ramp to southbound U.S. 23 were also backed up due to the debris, according to alert.

Michigan State Police were on scene. No further information was immediately available.

View US-23 and I-94 in a larger map

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