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Police: U-M students report drinks may have been spiked with drugs

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University of Michigan police sent out an alert to the campus community Tuesday warning of unconfirmed reports in recent months that students’ drinks have been spiked with drugs.

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U-M police told students not to take drinks from unknown sources.

MLive file photo

One student reported to Ann Arbor police that she may have been drugged at an off-campus party Friday night, according to the alert. She said she drank several drinks at the party in the 600 block of South State Street, then vomited and blacked out. She said she was not assaulted.

Anyone with information is asked to call University of Michigan Police at (734) 763-1131 or the Ann Arbor Police Tip Line (734) 794-6939 or email tips@a2gov.org.

Police also issued the following tips:

  • Do not take drinks from unknown sources.
  • Report any possible drugging incidents to police as soon as possible to preserve evidence. Timely reporting is essential.
  • Trust your intuition — if a particular situation makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, choose an alternative
  • Suspicious incidents can be reported to the Confidential Tip Line 1-800-863-1355.

Police said it's not their goal to prosecute a person for underage drinking who reports a potential drugging incident.


Blue Cross overhaul OK'd by Michigan legislative committee

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A legislative committee has approved bills to overhaul Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that don't include abortion provisions that led Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to veto the measure in December.

Legislation passed quickly on Tuesday would transform the state's largest health insurer from a charitable trust into a customer-owned nonprofit. The bills aren't expected to run into much resistance in the Republican-led Senate.

Less clear is how they'll fare in the GOP-controlled House, where newly elected members know less about the issue.

Snyder opposed the last-minute addition of language that would have barred insurers and businesses from providing elective abortion coverage.

The legislation would repeal a law that gives Blue Cross immunity from paying taxes in exchange for providing insurance coverage regardless of a customer's health status.

Former U-M student gets 20-60 years in killing of mentally ill mother

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Jeffrey Pyne, the former University of Michigan student convicted of bludgeoning his mentally ill mother to death, was sentenced Tuesday to 20 to 60 years in prison, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Police said Pyne, 23, beat and stabbed 51-year-old Ruth Pyne in the garage of the family's Highland Township home in May 2011. Prosecutors said Jeffrey Pyne was angry about his mother's mental illness.

Pyne again pleaded his innocence at the sentencing hearing, according to the Free Press, and asked for leniency. His father read a letter from Pyne's younger sister during the hearing, asking for her brother to come home soon.

Read the full Detroit Free Press report.

Ann Arbor snow day begets snow dinosaur

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Jesse Bratton climbs on Dwight the Dinosaur.

Photo courtesy of Heidi Bratton

Dwight the Dinosaur was destined to have a short life. But during it, he was an impressive sight lounging in the front yard of John and Heidi Bratton in Superior Township.

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Dwight the snow dinosaur with John Bratton, left, Ben Bratton and Lucy Bratton.

Photo courtesy of Heidi Bratton

Some might have called Dwight’s disposition icy, but it didn’t bother 5-year-old Jesse Bratton, who thought he made a fine jungle gym and slide.

Dwight was born on Monday, at first just a vague idea in the minds of John and three of his children enjoying a day off from school. He began to materialize as any snow figure would, from a few balls of rolled-up snow in the Brattons' front yard on Fox Hollow Court.

Then his body began taking shape, and then a long neck and curvy tail. Soon he had a small head and had sprouted pointed stegosaurus “plates” along his back. And there he was, a creature John Bratton said was something of a cross between dinosaurs, stegosaurus and apatosaurus.

A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain had closed area schools Monday, so Bratton and his children, Ben and Lucy Bratton, both students at Gabriel Richard High School, and 5-year-old Jesse Bratton, decided to do something with the snow in their yard before it melted away.

Bratton said they fashioned Dwight freehand with no model to work from.

“We rolled up a bunch of balls like you would a snowman and went from there,” he said. “There was some debate as to whether we should get a picture to work off of, but we were too wet and slushy to go back inside.”

When they were finished, Dwight stood 12 feet tall and measured about 14 feet from head to tail.

He did have some trouble keeping his head. He was on head No. 3 by the time Bratton left for work Tuesday at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he is the deputy director.

But that did little to diminish Dwight’s glow Monday night as he proudly wore a garland of Christmas lights on his first (and probably last) night on Earth.

Jennifer Fichera takes charge down stretch to lead Pioneer to 59-49 win over Skyline

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Jennifer Fichera takes a shot in a game against Huron earlier this season.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com file

Pioneer senior guard Jennifer Fichera started Tuesday’s game battling an illness that caused her to miss her team’s shootaround earlier in the day.

By halftime, she had four fouls and four points as her team trailed Skyline at home.

But Pioneer coach Crystal Westfield knew she could still count on Fichera when the game was on the line.

Fichera had 11 of her team’s 15 points in the final four minutes, 45 seconds, helping Pioneer pull away from Skyline in a 59-49 win Friday night.

More coverage: Boxscore

“For her to come back and play that hard, knowing that she had four fouls...it was going to take guts for us to play hard that last quarter and that last half of a quarter, and Jenny did that for us,” Westfield said.

In a back-and-forth game, Skyline (5-9, 0-7 SEC Red) came back from six down early in the fourth to tie the game 44-44 at 4:57 on a Mea Morris jumper.

Fichera was able to get to the free-throw line on the other end, making both, and Pioneer (8-5, 3-4 SEC Red) would never trail again. She went 8-of-9 from the stripe down the stretch and 11-for-13 for the game.

After her free throws, Fichera recorded a steal on the other end, and assisted on a basket by Brianna Worthing to put Pioneer up four. She also grabbed rebounds on three of Pioneer’s last four possessions.

“She just does a lot for us, she’s multitalented,” Westfield said.

Fichera finished with 15 points, while Desiree Cougill had 17 and Worthing had 13.

For Skyline, Morris had 15, Janae Sims had 11 and Anita VanderMuelen had 10.

Fichera’s go-ahead free throws came when Pioneer got in the bonus midway through the fourth. That came after Pioneer got into the bonus just five minutes into the first quarter.

The result was Pioneer taking 29 free throws compared to 10 for Skyline. They sank 11 of 12 in the second half and 20 for the game.

“That’s probably the difference in the game is the fouling,” Westfield said.

Skyline coach Keith Wade was not pleased with foul discrepancy.

“Jenny Fichera didn’t play half the game and shot more free throws than our whole team,” Wade said.

Skyline’s loss was its fifth straight as it stayed winless in the conference. Three of its last five losses have been by 10 points or less.

“It’s learning, that’s what we touched on in the locker room, it’s having that killer instinct down the stretch, that united will to win,” Wade said. “Right now we don’t have that.”

Pioneer led by five early in the second, before Skyline scored 15 points in the final 4:10 of the second quarter to take a one-point lead into halftime.

Skyline’s press led to 27 Pioneer turnovers, helping the Eagles stay in the game against a bigger Pioneer team that won the rebounding battle, 34-18.

But in the second half, Pioneer started to heat up from deep, hitting three 3-pointers in the third quarter. After Skyline came back to even things up, it couldn’t finish off the road win.

For Wade, the game reminded him of the two teams’ first matchup, which Pioneer won 60-59. Then, Pioneer was down by single digits in the final minutes. But this time, the roles were reversed.

“We were exactly where Pioneer was at their place, down four, pretty much the same amount of time, on the road, and Pioneer fought came back and won the game,” Wade said. “It’s almost like we get the defeatist attitude, like there’s no way we can come back.”

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.

Pioneer erases 14-point deficit, tops Skyline and more Tuesday results

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AnnArbor.com Washtenaw County Scoreboard

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Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file

Pioneer 58, Skyline 56
Story | Boxscore

After trailing 52-38 with four minutes left in the game, Pioneer completed a 20-4 run that culminated in a game-winning 3-pointer by Jibreel Hussein in the closing seconds of the game.

Hussein’s 3-pointer put Pioneer (9-3, 4-1 SEC) up by one point, and the Pioneers nearly stole the Skyline inbound on the next play. Skyline recovered the ball with enough time for Travonn Banks to take a potential game-winning shot that missed. Hussein was fouled on the rebound, and made a free throw to seal the Southeastern Conference Red win.

“We stopped trapping, went full court man-to-man, and Jibreel just went crazy,” Pioneer coach Rex Stanczak said. “He carried us at the end with three 3-pointers.”

Ethan Spencer contributed 13 points, including seven points in the late-game run, while 6-foot-7 junior center Tristan Wilson led Skyline (4-7, 1-3 SEC) with 18 points.

Huron 64, Monroe 48
Story | Boxscore

Huron’s Ernest Johnson and Demetrius Sims both scored 10 as Huron (6-4, 4-1 SEC Red) outscored Monroe 18-10 in the third quarter.

Nate Daniels led Monroe with 16 points, and Devante Crittenden scored eight.

Temperance Bedford 58, Saline 47
Story | Boxscore

Jackson Lamb scored a game-high 26 points as Temperance Bedford overcame a 14-7 first quarter deficit. Saline (7-5, 1-4 SEC White) Reece Dils and Max Recknagel each scored a team-high 13 points.

Ypsilanti 53, Tecumseh 16
Game details not available

Chelsea 60, Adrian 53
Story | Boxscore

Chelsea wiped out a 46-42 fourth quarter deficit to beat Adrian and climb to 2-4 in the Southeastern Conference White Division. The Bulldogs outscored Adrian 18-7 in the final eight minutes.

Free throw shooting was the difference as Chelsea hit 18 of 22 free throws, including 12 of 14 in the second half.

"When we get there we're good," Chelsea coach Rourke Skelton said of the free throws. "Our trouble is getting there."

Luke Hollandsworth scored 27 points, including hitting 5 of 6 fourth quarter free throws, for Chelsea (3-8). Logan Brown had 14.

Milan 71, Monroe Jefferson 24
Story | Boxscore

The Milan offense started the game shooting, outscoring Monroe-Jefferson 46-8 in the first half. Milan (11-1, 7-0 Huron League) was led by sophomore Thomas Lindeman's career-high 20 points, including five 3-pointers.

"(Lindeman) scores most of his points on the three-ball," Milan coach Josh Tropea said. "He get's a lot of chances on the fast-break. He comes off the bench and has been very good for us."

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 59, Father Gabriel Richard 45
Story | Boxscore

Gabriel Richard’s Kamari Davis and Jason Houle each scored 12 points.

Notre Dame Prep led 22-6 after the first quarter.

Gabriel Richard (4-8, 2-4 Catholic League AA) was 11-of-49 from the field.

Manchester 86, Grass Lake 79
Story | Boxscore

Manchester sank 14 3-pointers, and four players scored 11 or more points as Manchester earned its first win of the season against Grass Lake. The Flying Dutchmen are now 1-12 overall and 1-6 in the Cascades Conference.

Jake Korican led the team with 19 points, including five 3-pointers. Jordan Heuser added 12 points, and Matt Kemner and Will Stahly scored 11 apiece.

Greenhills 74, Westland Huron Valley Lutheran 47
Story | Boxscore

Andrew Khouri led Greenhills (10-1, 9-0 Mid-South) with 26 points, putting him only 54 points away from the 1,000-point career milestone.

"Andrew has been our leading scorer for three years," Greenhills coach Andrew Wright said of the senior.

Derek Heitman added 13 points, and Ross Scheinberg had 10.

Rudolf Steiner 57, Washtenaw Christian 55
Story | Boxscore

Koji Vroom hit a pair of free throws with less than 10 seconds left to seal the game for Rudolf Steiner (9-5, 5-0 Mid South)

"It was a great team win for us tonight," Sherwood said. "We made some mistakes that cost us some turnovers and gave them a chance to tie up the score."

Ben Hadlock finished with five threes and 21 points for Rudolf Steiner. Peter Larson had 10 points and five rebounds.

Mathias Donat scored 38 points for Washtenaw Christian (7-4), going 16 for 24 from the field, including 3 for 5 from the 3-point line.

"He was operating around the basket really well," Washtenaw Christian coach Dan Benefiel said. "We fouled right at the end of the game, which we should not have done, so this was a good learning experience for us on how to finish out games."

Lutheran Westland 54, Calvary Christian 24
Story | Boxscore

Calvary Christian's Blake Garner and James Bergler each scored a team-high six points. Calvary Christian is now 1-10 overall and 1-5 in the MIAC Red.

“We played pretty good defense, but we just couldn't score," Calvary Christian coach Steve Thurmond said. "It was like there was a lid on the bucket. Several shots went in and out. Tonight we shot like 5% in the first half."

Arbor Prep at Taylor Baptist Park
Postponed due to court issues

AnnArbor.com coverage

Lincoln 48, Dexter 46
Story | Boxscore | Photo Gallery

Game of the Week

Get your vote in now for this week's AnnArbor.com Game of the Week poll. The Dexter-Huron girls game has taken the early lead.

Tyler Hinton's buzzer beater gives Lincoln a 48-46 win over Dexter

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Tyler Hinton pumps his fists and screams in celebration after making the game winning shot at the buzzer in Lincoln's 48-46 win over Dexter Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Tied 46-46 against Dexter, Lincoln High School boys basketball coach Rich Marion used his final timeout to discuss exactly what play to run to try to win the game.

His team had the length of the court to travel, less than 5.8 seconds to do it and had made just a single field goal in the last three-and-a-half minutes.

Marion wanted to get the ball to senior guard Tyler Hinton, but eventually decided he’d rather have Javin Etchison bring the ball down the court.

Hinton pleaded with his coach to reconsider.

Marion obliged and Hinton did not disappoint. Hinton received the inbound pass, put his head down, drove the length of the court and put in the game winning layup with less than a second left.

By the time the ball hit the bottom of the net, the buzzer had sounded. It was the only noise louder than Hinton’s celebratory scream as the scoreboard read 48-46 with no time remaining.

More coverage: Boxscore | Photo Gallery | Tuesday night roundup

“I said, ‘come on coach, I gotta take this coach, I gotta. I know I’m gonna make this shot. I gotta take this coach,’" Hinton said. “My first thought was to get close to the rim and just score.”

“For about a five-second stretch in that huddle, I was wrong and he was right and I’m glad I listened to him,” Marion said. “Tyler Hinton was right and I was wrong because when Tyler Hinton puts his head down and goes, like he did early in the game, he’s a tough guy to keep the ball in front of.”

Hinton’s pleading may seem excessive for a player who had to that point of the game scored just two points all night, but that’s exactly why he insisted on having the ball in his hands.

After committing some costly turnovers that helped Dexter (5-6, 2-2 SEC White) erase a nine-point deficit in the last four minutes, Hinton felt he owed it to his team to come through.

“I felt like I let the team down on that turnover down there, so I just wanted to get it back for us,” Hinton said.

Fueling Dexter’s fourth quarter comeback effort was Derek Seidl, who scored 11 of his game-high 27 points in the final frame. But when Lincoln’s defense clamped down on Seidl with the Dreadnaughts down three, Brandon Bellottie came open and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with eight seconds remaining for his only points of the night.

“Bellottie’s a pretty good stationary shooter and made it,” said Dexter coach Randy Swoverland.

Swoverland wasn’t pleased with his team’s defensive execution on the final play, but was much more upset about his team’s play in the second quarter.

After not turning the ball over at all in the first 12 minutes of the game, Dexter turned the ball over six times in the final half of the second quarter and was outscored 13-6 in the frame. It was the only quarter in which the Lincoln (6-6, 3-2 SEC White) outscored Dexter.

“We had the lead, I thought we were running our offense very well, in the second quarter we start throwing the ball all over. We had six turnovers in the second quarter and I think that was the key to the game,” Swoverland said. “We got a little careless and it kind of snowballed a little bit.”

Lazon Hicks led Lincoln with 17 points on the night.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

Saline beats Bedford, Dexter beats Lincoln and more Tuesday girls basketball results

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AnnArbor.com Washtenaw County Girls Basketball Scoreboard:

Saline 40, Bedford 33
Story | Boxscore

Samantha Coon led Saline (8-6, 4-3 SEC Red) with 13 points, as the Hornets outscored Temperance Bedford 13-7 in the third quarter. Melissa Needham added nine points, Caitlin Ellis recorded five points and Jess Barnes scored four.

Huron 55, Monroe 19
Story | Boxscore

Ariel Bethea led Ann Arbor Huron (8-4, 6-1 SEC Red) with eight points, and Micah Robinson added seven.

"We just wanted to come out and play good defense, which we did," Ann Arbor Huron coach Steve Vinson said. " We were up and down the floor, and got some good transition baskets."

Dexter 51, Lincoln 32
Story | Boxscore

Dexter’s Emma Kill scored eight of her team’s 20 points in the third quarter, as the Dreadnaughts (13-1, 7-0 SEC White) remain unbeaten in the Southeastern Conference’s White Division.

Katelyn Morris led Ypsilanti Lincoln (10-4, 4-3) with 10 points.

The game was tied 10-10 after the first quarter, but Dexter outscored Lincoln 37-11 in the second and third quarters.

Chelsea 47, Adrian 17
Story | Boxscore

Bailey Darwin led Chelsea (9-4, 6-1 SEC White) with 15 points and seven rebounds, followed by Mackenzie Mykala, 10 points.

Keana Lofton led Adrian with seven points.

"We just played good, tough, man-to-man defense," said Chelsea coach Todd Blomquist, whose team improved to 6-1 in the league. "We protected the paint and did not let them have easy shots.

Manchester 65, Whitmore Lake 8
Story | Boxscore

Taylor Manders led Manchester (13-1) with 15 points, all of which came in the first half, and three assists, and Jessie Manders added 13 points, eight steals and four rebounds in the non-conference matchup.

Abby Salata and Melissa Dreffs each scored three points for Whitmore Lake (2-11).

Ypsilanti 55, Tecumseh 28
Story | Boxscore

Jasmine Jones scored 15 points to lead Ypsilanti (8-5, 3-4), and Cara Easley added 13.

Jada Anderson also reached double figures for Ypsilanti, scoring 10 points.

Arbor Prep 51, Wyandotte Roosevelt 41
Story | Boxscore

Karlee Morris led Arbor Prep (8-5) with 16 points and nine rebounds in the double-digit win. Nastassja Chambers had 12 points, and Zakiya Wells finished with 11 points.

Coach Rod Wells wasn't fully satisfied with how the Gators played.

"We didn't have a lot of intensity, and our energy was missing and we were unfocused," Wells said. "The girls had finals last week and we hadn't played in 11 days. ...I think the time off bothered the girls. "

Greenhills 43, Westland Huron Valley Lutheran 33
Story | Boxscore

Astra Tucker scored a season-best 14 points and Jackie Oestreich added 10 for Greenhills (7-6, 7-2 MIAC).

"We used our high-low passing game well tonight," Greenhills coach Rachel Cortis said. "Pushing the ball up the floor also worked well, and we did a good job in transition getting baskets that way."

Hamtramck 38, Willow Run 37
Story | Boxscore

With two seconds remaining and the game tied 37-37, Hamtramck was at the line to shoot two free throws. Dominique Davis -- who finished with 11 points -- missed both of them, however, was awarded a third due to a lane violation called on Willow Run. Davis made the final attempt to defeat Willow Run (5-7, 2-2 Michigan Metro North).

Shamaria Canada scored a game-high 15 points to lead Willow Run, and teammate Julia Holston added 10 points.

"I'm proud of the effort, especially with so many tough calls against us," Willow Run coach Cliff Russell said. "We had opportunities to win, we just didn't capitalize."

Rudolf Steiner 49, Washtenaw Christian 38
Story | Boxscore

Tessa Belanger of Rudolf Steiner (8-2) scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds, and Anika Sproull scored 15.

Jurnee Tipton, who is an eighth grader, scored 12 points, and Kara Goss scored 11 and had four steals to lead Washtenaw Christian (4-6).

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 42, Father Gabriel Richard 33
Game details not available.

AnnArbor.com coverage

Pioneer 59, Skyline 49
Story | Boxscore

Game of the Week

Get your vote in now for this week's AnnArbor.com Game of the Week poll. The Dexter-Huron girls game has taken the early lead. The poll closes on Saturday at noon.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.


UMMA hosting thought-provoking video installation 'Guards'

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A still from "Guards"

It might be said contemporary Belgian documentarian Francis Alys’ “Guards” at the University of Michigan Museum of Art’s New Media Gallery marches to the beat of its own drummer. Although, on second thought, forget the drummer. “Guards” just marches — period.

A 27-minute video documentary from 2004-2005, sponsored by Artangel, a London-based art commissioning agency, “Guards” is as much performance art (literally and figuratively) as it is any other sort of art videography.

Consisting of nearly a half-hour of the queen’s finest maneuvering about the United Kingdom’s capital in dress formation, the film says as much about synchronized motion and its effect on British civil society as it does the kinetic ability of cinema to invest interest in the most mundane of tasks.

The film’s premise (as stated in its prologue) runs as follows:

• 64 Coldstream guards enter separately in the city of London, unaware of one another’s route.

• The guards wander through the city looking for one another.

• Upon meeting, they fall into step and march together.

• When a square measuring 8x8 guards is built, the complete formation marches toward the closest bridge.

• As they step on the bridge, the guards break step and disperse.

And so the film goes. Although, as the UMMA’s gallery statement adds, “There is perhaps no more symbolically unemotional character than that of a bearskin-hat-wearing guard of the Queen of England. Yet even with no break in (these) guards’ indifferent exterior, the tale still manages to be a powerful metaphor for the human condition.”

Granted, it’s an exceedingly abstract element. But the philosophical conundrum is an integral part of the video.

There can be no question about Alys’ intent to present his narrative through multiple viewpoints (including surveillance cameras and point-of-view shots from mini-cameras set inside some of these servicemen’s familiar bearskin hats); as well as from multiple urban vantage points at street level; bird’s-eye level; and even close-up — all edited seamlessly to the aural and visual pace of the company’s synchronized step.

The first quarter of the video essentially establishes London itself as a character in the film. Smithfield Market, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, the Guildhall, the Royal Exchange, and St. Paul’s Cathedral all make memorable appearances. But the stars of the show — and their drill and precision are most certainly a show — are the 64 servicemen who constitute the film’s main attraction.

The 7th company of the Coldstream Guards are instantly recognizable red-coated soldiers whose massive wooly black helmet is supplemented by dress uniform pairs of gold buttons. Their longstanding non-active field role is the performance of ceremonial duties in London and Windsor Castle. The company provides guards for the queen’s birthday, and they open Parliament as well as lead the annual Remembrance Sunday Parade —while most famously, serve among the fabled regiments handling Buckingham Palace’s “Changing of the Guard.”

All this has its place in Alys’ “Guards” although he underplays this historic significance in deference to his careful observation of their march formation.

“Guards” has been made with full cooperation of the British Army. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have keenly observed social implications. As mentioned above, after a series of establishing shots of London locales, the film features these guards milling about alone. What’s notable is their relaxed posture as they roam about the city in search of their comrades.

It’s only when they begin to pair up (and establish ever-larger formations) that the soldiers’ posture begins to resemble what would commonly be called a march. The balance of the film is thereafter devoted to increasing numbers of soldiers in increasingly precise formation until the regiment reaches its customary 64 strong.

There’s an increasing conformity to their stride mirrored by the attention they receive from bystanders as the unit grows in number. For when walking individually, or in pairs, they don’t attract particular attention. It’s only in parade numbers that the public becomes increasingly aware of their presence.

From these fellows’ solitary roaming to the increasingly routinized discipline that ultimately lends an increasing rigidity to their movements, “Guards” comments on the sequential performance of the Coldstream regiment in contrast to London’s serial sociality.

As such, the documentary is surprisingly fast-paced for a feature that has such a deceptively shallow narrative arc. But this apparent superficiality is also part of Alys’ plan.

A sophisticated piece of filmmaking — from carefully balanced synchronous sound to the tightly edited discontinuous contrast of the soldiers and onlookers — Alys’ “Guards” is exceedingly clever.

It’s a nonstop study of Britain's principal guardians going from individual behavior to rhythmic fused group and back again to individual behavior — all under the steady, watchful gaze of their fellow subjects under the royal crown.

“Francis Alys: Guards” will continue through March 31 at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. Museum hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 734-763-UMMA.

Skyline coach sounds off on refs plus more prep basketball notes and leaders

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After another loss and another large foul discrepancy, Skyline High School girls basketball coach Keith Wade is done staying silent.

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Skyline coach Keith Wade

AnnArbor.com file photo

Following his team’s 59-49 loss at Pioneer Tuesday night, in which Skyline was whistled for 24 fouls compared to Pioneer’s 14, Wade spoke his mind.

“I’ve taken the politically correct way to answer these questions for the last eight games, and I’m done biting my tongue,” Wade said Tuesday night. “I don’t get how every game we play it’s a 10 to 15 foul difference.”

In Tuesday’s loss, Pioneer was 20-of-29 from the free-throw line, while Skyline was 5-for-10.

The Skyline girls routinely use a press defense that leads to plenty of fouls away from the hoop. But according to Wade, those fouls aren’t called evenly through the Southeastern Conference.

“I don’t know if it’s our conference, and Huron has built up enough reputation and they’re supposedly this great defensive team so they can get away with calls,” Wade said. “They don’t let our guards play at all, and it’s not fair to our girls.”

Huron didn't get away with much when it played at Pioneer either, though. When the teams met on Jan. 17, Huron had just seven free throw attempts (all by Ariel Bethea), compared to Pioneer's 25. Huron won the game 60-37.

Besides the foul disparity, there was one other surprising statistic Tuesday night: Skyline got only four points from its starting five.

But that’s because its starters weren’t its normal starters.

“We’ve been having some issues with effort in practice and spurts of games,” Wade said. “We just kind of told them they had a practice at two and a warm-up to show us who wanted to start. And the girls that started were girls who’ve been working hard and trying to get better.”

Keep the champagne corked

Lincoln coach Rich Marion was excited with what he saw on Tuesday in his team’s 48-46 win over Dexter.

He had his senior point guard step up as a leader and finisher when Tyler Hinton asked for the final shot when his number wasn’t called and delivered with a game-winner.

In addition to Hinton’s “Hoosiers” moment the Railsplitters created turnovers with high-pressure defense and won as tight of a game as possible in what has been an up-and-down season for the .500 club.

Marion was pleased, but not ready to congratulate his team just yet.

“It’s a great win morale wise, to win in that fashion. Are we over the hump? Not yet,” Marion said. “It’s great for chemistry I think it’s great for attitude and I think it’s great for everything. Does it put us over the hump? Not necessarily.”

Gryphons high scorers

The Greenhills boys and girls basketball teams both have star players who can score with anyone in the county.

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Greenhills' Andrew Khouri dribbles in a game last season.

AnnArbor.com file photo

But both teams have excelled in part by learning not to rely on their stars.

Senior forward Jackie Oestreich averages 25.3 points per game for the Greenhills girls, first in the area by more than 10 points.

Senior guard Andrew Khouri averages 21.1 points for the boys team, second in the county. Khouri was the area’s leading scorer as a junior last year, and is 54 points shy of 1,000 for his career.

Both have helped their squads to strong second halves of the season. The Gryphons boys have won 10 straight, and have just one blemish on their season record. The Greenhills girls, after a 2-4 start, reeled off four straight in January and now stand at 6-6.

The boys team in particular, though, has had to learn about life without their leading scorer. Khouri has missed six of his team’s games with a stress fracture in his lower back.

Yet Greenhills won all six, thanks to a cast that includes 10 players with varsity experience coming into the season.

“Just having that chance to have two years with a group of guys...it’s just the amount of confidence everyone had,” Greenhills coach Andrew Wright said.

Now, with Khouri back, the team is still on a roll. He’s played in the team’s last four games after a two-game absence. After going for five points in that first game, he scored 17, then 23 Friday and 26 Tuesday.

The injury, Wright said, limited Khouri’s lift and altered his jumpshot. But those effects have since subsided.

“He’s kind of been back to the norm the last two games,” Wright said Monday.

The girls team has had Oestreich for the entire season, but even with her putting up big numbers, the start was slow. Rachel Cortis, the team’s first-year coach, attributes that in part to a coaching transition.

But when her team scored a key win over Novi Franklin Road Christian in overtime in December, Hajra Bhurja made a shot to send the game into overtime and Elisia Ceballo-Countryman hit a late 3 to win the game.

“I think that’s when it started to click for them that Jackie doesn’t have to do everything,” Cortis said. “Ever since then they’ve been playing a lot better as a team, and our scoring’s been much more evenly distributed. "

And even through some ups and downs, Oestreich has put up big numbers. Her season-high for points is 42, and she’s scored 30 or more three other times. She’s also had double-digit rebounds seven times.

“She’s doing a really good job of keeping calm, and when she gets the ball in the post not just turning around and shooting but feeling her defender out and making a good move,” Cortis said.

Area scoring leaders

Boys Leaders

Jason Houle, Gabriel Richard 12 276 23.0
Andrew Khouri, Greenhills 7 148 21.1
Mathias Donat, Washtenaw Christian 10 183 18.3
C.J. Turnage, Milan 12 211 17.6
Daquanta Brown, Willow Run 9 154 17.1
Jibreel Hussein, Pioneer 12 198 16.5
Reece Dils, Saline 12 185 15.4
Kamari Davis, Gabriel Richard 11 166 15.1
Latin Davis, Milan 11 160 14.5
Derek Seidl, Dexter 11 159 14.5

Girls Leaders

Jackie Oestreich, Greenhills 12 303 25.3
Desiree Cougill, Pioneer 11 164 14.9
McKenna Erkfritz, Manchester 14 206 14.7
Riley Singleton, Chelsea 13 174 13.4
Taylor Manders, Manchester 14 185 13.2
Jasmine Jones, Ypsilanti 13 169 13.0
Jennifer Fichera, Pioneer 13 165 12.7
Arie Cargor, Lincoln 14 176 12.6
Zakiya Wells, Arbor Prep 12 148 12.3
Dominique Foley, Lincoln 13 160 12.3

Richard students ready to battle

While the Father Gabriel Richard boys team competes against Madison Heights Bishop Foley at home Tuesday, its student section will be competing as well.

Representatives from the MHSAA will be on hand to judge the Gabriel Richard student section, as it competes for the title of best in the state in the association’s “Battle of the Fans” contest. The students have announced a beach theme for the game.

Gabriel Richard was named one of five finalists last month, after submitting a video application. The winner will be announced Feb. 22.

Huron-Pioneer girls rescheduled

For the second time this season, the Huron-Pioneer girls matchup has been rescheduled to allow fans to watch both the boys and girls matchups.

The Feb. 8 game, originally scheduled for 7 p.m. at Pioneer, is now scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Huron, immediately before the boys game.

The teams' previous matchup was moved from a Friday to a Thursday so fans could attend both games.

Game of the Week

The Dexter girls' game at Huron has drawn the most votes so far in this week's AnnArbor.com Game of the Week poll, but voting stays open until noon Saturday.

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.

Homicide: Police investigate shooting death in West Willow

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Detectives from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's investigate a homicide that occurred in the West Willow neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township Tuesday night.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

A 28-year-old man died of gunshot wounds at a home in the 600 block of Calder Avenue in the West Willow neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township Tuesday night, police said.

The call for the gunshot victim came in to police just before 10 p.m., according to a Nixle alert from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.

The 28-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives from the sheriff's office were at the scene overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning. WXYZ reported the man was found in a car. He appeared to be the only occupant. The investigation continues,

Further information was not released in the early hours of the investigation.

If you have any information concerning this incident, please contact the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office at (734) 973-4911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SpeakUP.

This story will be updated.


View 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.

Man faces 10 years in prison for beating boy who refused to eat banana

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A Pittsfield Township man could face 10 years in prison when he's sentenced Thursday for beating a young boy with a belt after the boy refused to eat a banana.

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Paul Magala

Courtesy of WCSO

Paul Magala, 37, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10 to one charge of second-degree child abuse in exchange for one charge of third-degree child abuse being dropped at his sentencing hearing on Thursday. Magala was arrested and charged in November on the two charges before being jailed in Washtenaw County on a $75,000 bond.

Pittsfield Township police did not immediately release details of the incident but new information came to light after AnnArbor.com received a search warrant affidavit from the case.

The affidavit was received through a Freedom Of Information Act earlier this month. In it, Pittsfield Township police Detective Michael Robinson details a Dec. 30, 2011, incident when Magala repeatedly whipped a boy with a belt.

Robinson writes Child Protective Services alerted him to the case on Nov. 5 after a CPS worker spoke with a Wisconsin woman. Robinson then contacted the woman, who had taken a video of Magala beating the boy on Dec. 30, 2011.

According to the affidavit, the woman drove Magala and the boy to an apartment on that date.

“... They gave (the boy) a banana to eat but that (the boy) didn’t want to eat it because it was too ripe,” the affidavit stated.

Magala whipped the boy after discovering the uneaten banana, the affidavit says.

The woman videotaped the beating with her camera and told Robinson it went on between seven and 10 minutes. Magala hit the boy at least 14 times during the course of the video.

Magala lectured the boy as he beat him, yelling over his screams, according to the affidavit. The boy was in a seated position as Magala struck him numerous times in the legs before knocking him to the ground with a strike to the face.

According to a Child Protective Services law enforcement notification included in the affidavit, there was a past history of abuse between Magala and the boy.

Police were contacted about the Dec. 30, 2011, incident on Nov. 5, 2012. Magala was arrested two days later. Police took four black belts from the apartment during the search, conducted that same day.

Magala is still lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail until his sentencing hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in front of Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David Swartz. The maximum punishment for second-degree child abuse is 10 years in prison.

A message left with Magala’s lawyer, Erika Julien, was not returned.

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

Seeking out Washtenaw County's homeless for census leads workers to bridges, woods, parking lots

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A homeless camp underneath a bridge Tuesday on the north side of Ann Arbor.

Amy Biolchini | AnnArbor.com

“Hello? Is anybody here?” called out Sara Silvennoinen, who works with the Project Outreach Team of Washtenaw County’s Community Support and Treatment Services.

Silvennoinen’s calls fell on a set of tents tucked underneath a bridge, next to a set of railroad tracks and next to a busy corridor on the north side of Ann Arbor.

She was met with silence and the sound of cars crossing the bridge overhead.

About 10:30 a.m. Tuesday the tents were empty, but fresh footprints on a snowy well-worn path to the roadway indicated signs of life.

The tents are about 100 feet from the roadway. All are out of site from the rushing traffic nearby.

Several hundred yards to the west is a similar sight: Four tents sit under a nearby bridge; also empty. Their inhabitants had likely left early in the morning to go into town, Silvennoinen said.

Silvennoinen was a part of a team of social service workers who combed Washtenaw County Tuesday to seek out homeless individuals for a census.

Every year the county conducts a census of individuals in the shelter system, Steiner said. Every two years the census includes homeless individuals not in the shelter system, as is the case this year.

In 2011, the census identified 714 individuals who were living in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation; 160 of those were children and 15 were unaccompanied youth.

Contrary to popular belief, about 92 percent of those polled in the census are Washtenaw County residents, said Julie Steiner, executive director of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance.

How can I get into shelter?

Homeless families in Washtenaw County will be assessed for shelter by calling the Housing Access Line at 734-961-1999 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

The data will be used to determine the characteristics of those that are homeless in the county, and if services are tailored to correctly address the situation.

The census also provides workers with a way to engage with some newly-homeless people and connect them to services.

The census is conducted in January because homeless people are less transient in the cold months, said John Loring, director of adult mental illness services for Community Support and Treatment Services.

In smaller communities like Manchester and Dexter, Loring said homeless individuals tend to find places to stay with friends or family.

Though some homeless individuals frequent free meal offerings at area churches, other individuals choose not to make use of the service — and so the social workers had to go to them.

Silvennoinen’s team set out at 6 a.m. Tuesday and started with rest stops along major highways, park-and-ride lots and parking lots of big box stores.

They found several individuals sleeping in their cars at each location, she said.

Next they looked underneath bridges and overpasses, in wooded lots, outside of party stores, in public libraries and in parking structures.

It’s not difficult to find hidden spots where homeless people seek shelter, Silvennoinen said. Her car has a trunk full of sleeping bags, hats, scarves, gloves and coats to hand out if needed.

Many people who make their own shelter in the woods or in overpasses want to be alone and avoid the help of social service agencies, Steiner said. Some have mental health issues and substance abuse issues, she said.

Silvennoinen said she knows most of the people living outdoors, as her team makes routine visits to locations across the county where they know homeless people commonly are found.

Building trust between the social worker and homeless individuals is the most important part, Silvennoinen said.

For months she only was able to say “hello” to a homeless woman before the woman felt comfortable enough to engage in a conversation, Silvennoinen said.

The social workers are stringent in their policy to keep their interactions with homeless people consistent in order to create a stable relationship.

Trust is what gets people housed, Silvennoinen said.

The census asks homeless individuals to give, at the minimum, the first two letters of their first and last name, as well as their homeless status. The census also asks if they’re the head of the household, if they’re living with others, their gender, date of birth, length of homelessness and if they consider themselves to have a long-term disability.

Organizations assisting in the census include Ozone House, Shelter Association, Michigan Ability Partners, Home of New Vision, the Homeless Veterans Program of the VA Medical Center, the Ann Arbor Police Department and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.

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

Thompson Block: Ypsilanti expects to hear new redevelopment plan as renovation deadline approaches

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The owner of Thompson Block in Ypsilanti is expected to submit a formal redevelopment plan for the property in coming weeks as he faces a court-ordered Aug. 30 deadline to complete the work.

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Thompson Block

Katrease Stafford | AnnArbor.com

"We've been talking a little bit," said City Planner Teresa Gillotti. "Stewart Beal said he has some plans on the way and I expect a meeting in the next couple of weeks about what he's looking at on the redevelopment side."

A large fire gutted the Thompson Block building on Sept. 23, 2009. Beal, whose company Historic Equities Fund 1 LLC owns the building, and the city ended up in court over a disagreement on how to proceed with the building’s renovation.

Beal previously estimated that a total renovation of the building would cost around $4 million.

Beal presented plans in the past that would have included commercial space on the first floor and entire northern segment of the 148-year-old Depot Town building. The second and third floors were to hold residential lofts.

That plan eventually was changed to making the entire building all-residential with 23 lofts ranging in size from 620 to 1,120 square feet.

Beal declined to comment for this article.

Beal and the city reached a consent agreement in August of 2010, that gave Beal three years to complete the exterior envelope of the building, including a roof, stable walls and all openings sealed with at least temporary doors and windows.

Beal has until the end of August 2013 to complete these renovations.

"The do have a deadline coming up on the envelope," Gillotti said. "The idea is to have a conversation with him before construction season."

The building's total assessed value for 2012 was $152,900. Beal purchased the property, located at 400 N. River, for $346,186 from David Kircher in 2006. Kircher is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for illegally pumping raw sewage into the Huron River from the former Eastern Highlands apartment complex on LeForge Road.

According to Washtenaw County delinquent tax records, Beal is up to date on the property's taxes.

Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber said he hasn't been in contact with Beal about the property, but he would like to see the building rehabilitated and its "historic character" kept.

"I would like for businesses to be there and for it to add to Depot Town," Schreiber said. "I’m sure Stuart would like to see the same thing, but wishing is one thing and having the investment done is another... I really don’t know what Stuart has planned."

Council Member Brian Robb said his only concern at the moment is to make sure Beal complies with the court ruling.

"One of my things is to make sure we're not surprised when the due date comes around," Robb said. "I want to make sure we're on track to make that envelope... My focus is making sure the court order is complied and we're not back in court."

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

Hybrids, solar panels and trashing trash: A look at University of Michigan sustainability progress

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Solar panels installed on University of Michigan land near Plymouth Road.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Since University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman introduced ambitious sustainability goals 16 months ago, many practices have started to change at the school but there's even more left to do.

In the course of 12 months, the school introduced seven hybrid buses to its transportation fleet. It installed a 2.4-acre solar panel field on north campus and finalized plans for another large array to be constructed this spring.

The most expensive building U-M has ever constructed —the $754 million C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital— received a silver LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Building to LEED code added tens of millions of dollars to the construction cost, but was consistent with the goals Coleman outlined when she announced a $14 million sustainability initiative in September 2011.

Coleman promised that all new major buildings would be LEED certified, that new dining halls would be trayless and that U-M would begin to embrace solar energy, despite the objections of naysayers.

She promised that by 2025, the school would reduce its waste by 40 percent, its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent and its toxic runoff by 40 percent. By 2025, she said, all U-M buses would operate using sustainable technology.

All goals are measured from 2006 levels.

The goals are sweeping, and change has thus far been slow and incremental.

"It's going to take two, three or four years to really make a dent," Andy Berki, manager of the Office of Campus Sustainability, said of the goals. "They feel achievable, but they're challenging."

The university released its annual sustainability report on Tuesday.

Here's a by-the-numbers look at U-M's headway:

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Solar panels off Plymouth Road.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

6 percent: The amount bus energy consumption decreased per passenger in 2012, according to the sustainability report.

At the same time, ridership went up by 538,000 trips, to above 7.4 million. Meanwhile greenhouse gas emissions per passenger decreased by 5 percent from 2011, according to the sustainability report.

That's partly due to U-M's gradual transition to hybrid buses.

The university added seven hybrid buses to its fleet this year. The 40-foot buses get about five miles per gallon of diesel fuel, a 30 percent improvement over conventional U-M buses, leading to an estimated annual fuel savings of $44,000.

Each bus costs about $518,000, or $175,000 more than conventional buses.

Meanwhile, U-M also added 30 hybrid sedans to its fleet this year and piloted a new bike rental program for students and staff. The school also is in the midst of exploring a bike sharing program with the city of Ann Arbor.

1,800: The number of solar panels installed on U-M's north campus near the intersection of Plymouth Road and Huron Parkway.

The panels, which span 2.4 acres, will soon be accompanied by a similarly sized spread off Fuller Road.

The Plymouth Road array, installed in fall 2012, produce 430 kilowatts, generating enough energy to power about 100 houses.

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University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman announcing sustainability goals in September 2011.

Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com file photo

The panels were announced by Coleman during her 2011 address. She warned prior to installation that she had already received negative feedback on the aesthetics of the planned field.

“What we are planning on north campus will be plenty visible,” Coleman said at the time. “I’ve gotten objections, and I’ve gotten people who have said ‘Oh they’re ugly.’”

The panels received a mix reaction from area residents, some who complained that they were an eyesore and others who praised them as an alternative energy source.

640: The number of U-M classes dealing with sustainability related subject matter, according to the sustainability report.

For sustainability to stick, education is key, officials say.

"We're focusing really hard on changing behavior on campus," said Don Scavia, special counsel to the president on sustainability and director of the Graham Sustainability Institute. "Most of us believe that technology is only going to get us [so far] and we really need to change people's behaviors in order to make a difference."

According to the report, there are 647 faculty members with academic and research backgrounds in fields relating to sustainability.

In March, the university, in partnership with Dow Chemical Company, launched a $10 million multidisciplinary sustainability fellows program, which is supposed to bring 300 scholars to Ann Arbor by 2018. Currently, there are 40 fellows representing 10 departments within the university.

684,400 metric tons: The amount of U-M generated carbon dioxide emissions in 2012, according to the sustainability report.

That number is well above U-M's 2025 goal of 510,000 metric tons.

Each year, U-M's campus and student body get larger and larger, forcing the university to be strategic in its goal of emissions reduction. The school has tweaked much of its major buildings and is exploring ways to increase the amount of natural gas it uses to produce energy.

"Growth and infrastructure continue to be a challenge," Berki said.

Levels, however, are an improvement from 2011, when U-M emitted 728,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas. In 2006 levels were at 680,000 tons, and U-M's 2025 goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from that figure.

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The year-old C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital achieved LEED certification.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com file photo

Overall, U-M emissions come 54 percent from purchased electricity, 45 percent from building operations and 1 percent from transportation options.

Since 2006, per-trip carbon emissions of U-M transportation options have decreased by 22 percent, according to the sustainability report. The school's 2025 goal is a 30 percent reduction.

28 percent: U-M's recycling rate in 2012, down 2 percent from the previous year.

U-M produced slightly more than 18,000 tons of waste this year, up from nearly 17,400 tons in 2011 but down from a peak of 19,400 tons in 2009. Of the 18,000 tons in trash, about 13,000 tons went directly to landfills and about 5,000 tons were recycled.

Through the a recycling program at Michigan Stadium, 28 tons of recyclables were diverted from landfills during the 2012 football season, which included six home games. Recycling rates ranged from 13 percent to 30 percent per game. In 2011, during eight home games, nearly 41 tons of recyclables were collected.

During her 2011 address, Coleman pledged to reduce waste sent to landfills by 40 percent at U-M by 2025. According to the recent report, the school must still reduce waste by 39 percent in order to reach the 2025 goal.

"We're heading in the right direction, we knew when we set these goals that they were going to be difficult. They were defined as stretch goals for a reason," said Scavia.

"It was not going to be a smooth road toward them."

146 tons: The amount of food U-M composted in 2012.

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Rob Doletzky, U-M grounds services supervisor, describes composting processes while at the composting site at Plant Building and Grounds Services.

Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com file photo

In addition to pre-consumer composing, U-M piloted a food composting program in October, encouraging diners at the Michigan League to compost unfinished food.

Since 1997 U-M has collected 870 tons of compostable waste from six dining halls, two cafeterias and university catering, according to the sustainability report.

Meanwhile, to reduce food waste the university is transitioning to trayless dining. All new and renovated dining halls -including the soon-to-be-renovated East Quad— won't have trays. The hope is that students will gather less food, and thus waste lass. At least two U-M dining halls are already trayless.

The university creates its own fertilizer by composting plant material —such as flowers, leaves, grass— and mixing it with water, molasses and fish remains. The mixture is called compost tea and is used to maintain campus grounds.

The university is working to reduce the amount of chemicals applied to university grounds by 40 percent by 2025.

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A University of Michigan chart tracking the amount of U-M waste that has been sent to landfills since 2006.

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


'Anything Goes' at Burns Park Players, 'Cultural Conversations' at Performance Network

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Take a theatrical trip around the world this week, from Egypt, to Hollywood, to New York, to London, to an existential abyss in Chelsea, Michigan. This week’s listings offer adventures to exotic locales, and familiar spaces.

To stretch the metaphor just a little bit further, grab a passport for fun at your favorite theatrical venue, sit back, relax and let the amazing artists of Washtenaw County take you on a trip around the world, right here in your own backyard.

With so many wonderful venues close to home, you can sit here, and go anywhere.

Show: Cultural Conversations with David Wells, author of “Brill,” one-time event, Sunday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m.
Company: Performance Network Theatre
Type of Company: Professional Equity SPT
Venue/location: Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron, Ann Arbor
Recommended Ages: 12+
Description: Cultural Conversations is a series of in-depth, on-stage conversations, exploring the nuances of making theatre from the artist's perspective. Screenwriter and Playwright David Wells has written for both Hollywood and Ann Arbor. He will speak about the difference between writing for Hollywood and writing for the stage, and how his experience in both worlds informs the characters in his newest play, "Brill."
Fun fact: David Wells studied playwriting at the University of Michigan and San Francisco State University, before transitioning into screenwriting. He sold and developed projects at New Line, Sony, and Disney studios, before his return to playwriting with “Brill.”
For tickets and information: www.performancenetwork.org/, 734-663-0681

Show: “Tales from Egypt,” one-time event, Feb. 3, 1:30 p.m.
Company: The Michigan Theater
Type of Company: Not Just for Kids Live Series
Venue/location: Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: All
Description: When “Gama” Harriet, a famous Egyptologist, mysteriously disappears, two children search for clues among the ancient Egyptian amulets and scientific journals in the trunks in Gama’s attic. Before they know it, they are magically transported to ancient Egypt, where they unravel the mystery and learn fascinating facts about one of the world’s amazing cultures. Families will love this fun and creative melding of child-friendly mystery and historical exploration.
Fun fact: Music and dance were popular entertainments for Ancient Egyptians who could afford them. Early instruments included flutes and harps, while instruments similar to trumpets, oboes, and pipes developed later and became popular.
For tickets and information: 800-745-3000, www.michtheater.org/

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Photo by Myra Klarman

Show: “Anything Goes” Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter; through Feb. 9.
Company: Burns Park Players
Type of Company: Community
Venue/location: Tappan Middle School, 2251 E. Stadium, Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: All
Description: Aboard the S.S. American, headed from New York to London, we meet Billy Crocker, a stowaway who has fallen in love with the American debutante and heiress Hope Harcourt. Billy enlists the help of evangelist-turned-nightclub-singer Reno Sweeney and “Public Enemy No. 13” Moonface Martin in trying to win Hope away from her fiancé, the wealthy Englishman Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Exotic disguise, blackmail, and madcap antics ensue.
Fun fact: The songs of “Anything Goes” include “It’s De-Lovely,” "You're the Top," ''Anything Goes" and "I Get a Kick Out of You." In Burns Park Players' tradition, the cast is joined on stage by 95 children from Burns Park Elementary School.
Preview article from AnnArbor.com
For tickets and information: www.burnsparkplayers.org
Special ticket offer: Patron tickets are also available for $30. They are the best seats in the house and include parking. For patron tickets, please email BPPPatrontickets@gmail.com with “Patron Tickets” in the subject line. Indicate in the body of the email how many patron tickets you would like, and specify which dates.

Show: “Brill” by David Wells, with songs by Frank Allison, through Feb. 10
Company: Performance Network Theatre
Type of Company: Professional Equity SPT
Venue/location: Performance Network Theatre, 120 E. Huron, Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 12+
Description: Located at Broadway and 49th Street in Manhattan, the famous Brill Building was once the epicenter of the pop music universe, where a musician could find a publisher, cut a demo, promote the record, and make a deal with radio promoters - all within one building. In this “lyrical” comedy set in 1959, a washed up Big Band songwriter faces the inevitability of rock and roll when a young woman shows up at his office with her guitar, her aspirations, and more than a few secrets. Can this odd couple make beautiful music together - or will their culture clash land one of them out on the streets?
Review from Examiner.com
Fun Fact: The start of Tin Pan Alley is usually dated to about 1885, when a number of music publishers set up shop in the same district of Manhattan. The end of Tin Pan Alley is less clear-cut. Some date it to the start of the Great Depression in the 1930s when the phonograph and radio supplanted sheet music as the driving force of American popular music, while others consider Tin Pan Alley to have continued into the 1950s when earlier styles of American popular music were upstaged by the rise of rock & roll.
For tickets and information: www.performancenetwork.org/, 734-663-0681.

Show: “Prince Darling” by Naia Venturi, based on the fairy tale by Andrew Lang, through Feb. 17
Company: Dreamland Theater Puppet Troupe
Type of Company: Pre-professional
Venue/location: Dreamland Theater, 26 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti
Recommended ages: All
Description: A fairy tale in which the title character learns that it’s is nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice. In this marionette show based on the fairy tale by Andrew Lang, Prince Darling, spoiled son of the Good King, is taught a lesson by the fairy of truth. “Prince Darling” plays every Sunday in January.
Fun Fact: Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scots poet, novelist, and literary critic, whose "Coloured" Fairy Books or Andrew Lang's Fairy Books of Many Colors — are a series of twelve collections of fairy tales, published between 1889 and 1910.
For tickets and information: email dreamlandtheater@gmail.com

Show: “The Meaning of Almost Everything” by Jeff Daniels, through March 9
Company: The Purple Rose Theatre Company
Type of Company: Professional Equity SPT
Venue/location: The Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, MI 48118
Recommended ages: 17+
Description: Step right up and grab a seat for the hilarious and sometimes painful circus that is life! Two men will astound you with their feats of daring and sometimes cowardice as they pratfall their way to the big answers in "The Meaning of Almost of Everything." This world premiere comedy questions the nature of our world and the absurdity of it all.
Review from the Jackson Citizen Patriot
Fun fact: Original harp music was composed for this production by Nate May.
For tickets and information: 734-433-7673 or www.purplerosetheatre.org

Ypsilanti superintendent 'cautiously optimistic' about new district's finances

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Previous coverage:

The Ypsilanti Public Schools didn't have to turn to pay-less paydays for teachers and staff during its low cash-flow periods in December and January, leaving and Superintendent Dedrick Martin “cautiously optimistic” about finances.

“I believe we will be able to meet our financial obligations for the rest of this school year,” Martin said. “As long as we continue to watch our expenditures and to control and contain costs whenever possible.”

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Ypsilanti Public Schools Superintendent Dedrick Martin and student Aidan Brennan explore some of the dictionary's features in this 2011 file photo.

AnnArbor.com file photo

Martin’s remarks to AnnArbor.com came only minutes after learning a pipe had burst in the district’s administration building. He explained unexpected malfunctions and repairs are what keep him from definitively saying staff can expect every paycheck from now until June.

“More than likely we’ll be fine,” he said. But Martin’s caution stems from the fact that the district has “no cushion.”

“If we had money in the bank, if we had a fund balance, we wouldn’t have needed to sound the alarm,” he said.

In July 2012, Ypsilanti officials alerted district employees of a cash-flow problem that could prevent staff from receiving paychecks at various points throughout the school year.

The district made it through the low points in September and December. It also was projected to have insufficient funds to pay employees on time in January and February.

However, the district received some additional information earlier this month about its maintenance of effort special education funding that has led school officials to proclaim they’ll make it through the year. This funding is given to districts for maintaining the same level of program costs per student from year to year.

Martin said the state analyzes cost-per-student ratios annually to ensure special education students are having their needs adequately met and to prevent districts from cutting costs or services too rapidly.

At the start of this fiscal year, July 1, 2012, Ypsilanti was informed it had done just that — cut costs in this department too rapidly. It was at risk of being docked about $1.5 million in maintenance of effort funding because of this.

Prior to July, when approving its 2012-13 academic year budget, Ypsilanti Public Schools reduced its special education staff by about 45 positions. When school officials learned about the $1.5 million loss in funding, they recalled a number of those special education staff.

Martin said by cutting these 45 positions, the district was actually “right-sizing” itself and, in a sense, was punished for being more fiscally responsible.

“We were overstaffed in this area. … (The cuts) were to make us more in line with the minimum requirements by law and with the (special education) services of other districts,” he said. “It seemed so bad at the time, what we were doing, to the outside person. But we had not been diligent. For years we had the luxury of having more staff.”

Martin said school officials were not notified until recently whether they would receive all of the district’s maintenance of effort money. He said some is still up in the air.

Special education retirements and resignations do not count against school districts; and throughout the current academic year, YPS has had some resignations and retirements that it did not refill to bring the special education department back to “about where we need to be” as far as staffing, Martin said.

He said if the district had a fund balance, school officials likely would not even be talking about the slight possibility of this special education money still impacting paychecks.

“It feels wrong to people or like scare tactics, but we want to be transparent,” he said.

And when unanticipated things happen — like a pipe bursts or a boiler stops working — it can impact a cushion-free budget “significantly.”

Martin described it as similar to a personal or household budget that’s impacted when a car breaks down.

Typically, Ypsilanti Public Schools and Willow Run Community Schools would be starting their budget processes for the next school year within the coming month. Martin said normally by February, he’s looking at state foundation allowance trends and student enrollment trends.

“But there is no trend data for closing two schools and creating a new one out of thin air,” he said.

Ypsilanti and Willow Run will merge effective July 1. The new unified district, which should receive an official name Feb. 4, will open its doors to students in September.

How much the new district’s operating budget will be is still unknown. Martin said school officials will work closely with budget experts from the Michigan Department of Education, the State Treasury Department and other local consultants to make some sound projections in the coming months.

Surveying parents and community members about where they intend to enroll their students will be important, he said.

“We also won’t be saddled with presuppositions about teachers and programs. We’ll be starting from scratch and as long as we do so conservatively, … (creating the new district’s budget) will be mission challenging, not mission impossible.”

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Sales of A123 Systems operation in Ann Arbor finalized by US bankruptcy court

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Two deals for the assets of bankrupt A123 Systems — including an office in Ann Arbor — were completed late Tuesday, according to reports in the Detroit News. The moves are expected to preserve about 1,000 jobs in Michigan.

Navitas Systems LLC plans to acquire about 40 A123 Systems Inc. employees in Ann Arbor, as it completes it $2.3 million acquisition of the government and research side of the battery maker's business.

The company hopes to double the size of the office, according to the report.

At the same time, Chicago-based Wanxiang America - the U.S. based headquarters of the $4.2 billion Wanxiang Group Corp., based in China - finalized its $256.6 million acquisition of the nongovernment business assets of A123 Systems, including facilities in two other states and operations in Livonia and Romulus.

The deals were worked out in December, according to previous reports.

The bankruptcy filing came in October.

A123 landed a $249.1 million economic stimulus grant from the U.S. DOE in August 2009. That came after the battery manufacturer won $125 million in tax credits and incentives from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. in spring 2009 and a $10 million cash grant from the state in fall 2008. The company received about $135 million of the grant.

From a New York Times report on the filing:

"A123, based in Waltham, Mass., was once considered one of the most promising grant recipients under the (Obama) administration’s $2 billion stimulus program for electric car development."

Ann Arbor-based T/J Technologies was acquired by A123 Systems in 2006. The company retained its Ann Arbor office as it planned to grow lithium-ion battery making capacity in the state.

Police release name of man shot dead in West Willow

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Police found the body of 28-year-old Brandon Wesley Charles in a car parked at a home in the 600 block of Calder Avenue in Ypsilanti Township on Tuesday night.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

Police have released the name of the 28-year-old Ypsilanti-area man who was shot dead in the West Willow neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township Tuesday night.

Brandon Wesley Charles was found dead around 10 p.m. in the driver's seat of his vehicle, which was parked at a residence in the 600 block of Calder Avenue, police said.

Charles was shot in the torso area, said Derrick Jackson of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.

Police received multiple 911 calls reporting the gunshots around 9:45 p.m., including a call from inside the home. Jackson said Charles did not live there.

"It's an acquaintance or a friend's house," Jackson added.

Police don't yet have a suspect. Detectives from the sheriff's office were at the homicide scene late Tuesday night and well into early Wednesday morning investigating.

"We're trying to piece it together," Jackson said.

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

Man accused of killing 15-month-old boy to stand trial in April

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The 34-year-old man accused of killing a 15-month-old child following a night of abuse will go to trial in April.

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Michael Curtiss

Michael Curtiss, of Ypsilanti Township, was in court for a pretrial hearing in front of Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Donald Shelton Tuesday. After a short bench conference, Shelton set the case for trial at 8 a.m. April 15. A final pretrial hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. March 12.

Curtiss is accused of pushing Chase Miller into a TV stand during a heroin-induced rage on the night of Oct. 21. Curtiss was babysitting Miller for his girlfriend, who had to go to work.

According to court testimony, Curtiss snorted heroin about 20 minutes before Chase vomited on himself at the home in the 1100 block of Fall River Road in Ypsilanti Township.

When the child threw up, Curtiss went into a rage. Testimony from police at a preliminary hearing in December alleges Curtiss threw the child onto a bed with enough force the 15-month-old bounced off and hit a wall. Curtiss allegedly undressed Miller and forced him to sit on a toilet. The child was too young to be potty-trained and fell into the toilet bowl, according to police.

Curtiss drew a bath for the child and put Chase into a safety seat, but didn’t secure it, allowing him to get out of the bathtub and wander into the master bedroom. Police testified Miller urinated on himself. Curtiss then allegedly pushed Chase's head, causing the child to fall backward into a TV stand. The injuries eventually killed the child.

In addition to the fatal injury to the back of his head, Chase suffered bruising on his legs, buttocks and genitals, according to Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s Office officials.

Curtiss faces charges of open murder, first-degree child abuse and possession of less than 25 grams of heroin. If convicted on either the murder or child abuse charges, Curtiss could spend the rest of his life in prison. He remains held in the Washtenaw County Jail without bond.

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

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