What a difference a day makes.

One night after barely escaping with a win over Northern Michigan, the Michigan hockey team dominated the Wildcats Saturday night, earning a 6-2 victory and a two-game sweep in the opening round of the CCHA playoffs.

“I think that was the best game we’ve played all year,” said defenseman Mac Bennett. “We started hot, we finished hot, we were just great all around. I thought our special teams were great. We dominated the game.”

The Wolverines scored two power-play goals, finishing 2-for-3 with the man advantage and 4-for-6 in the series.

“Things just seem to be clicking right now. We’re getting chances and getting pucks to the net and they seem to be going in,” Bennett said.

Alex Guptill opened the scoring for Michigan, picking up a loose puck in between the circles in front of NMU goalie Jared Coreau and backhanding a shot between his legs just over 4 minutes into the game. Guptill had a goal and an assist on the night for the Wolverines and scored three points in the series.

Freshman defenseman Jacob Trouba extended the lead with a rocket from just beyond the circles 11 minutes later. Trouba also had a goal and an assist on the night.

Coach Red Berenson said he was happy with the energy his team showed from the start of the game.

“I was really impressed with our team tonight. After last night’s game where their team outplayed us for big parts of the game, I thought if our team came in there tonight over confident, we were in trouble,” Berenson said. “That was a convincing victory right from the start.”

A night after NMU’s offense was able to dictate play during even-strength situations, the Wolverines stifled the Wildcats all evening long, denying the dump-and-chase attack NMU used so effectively Friday night.

NMU responded with a goal late in the first period when Darren Nowick knocked down a puck behind the Michigan net, brought it out front and jammed it in the net after Michigan goalie Steve Racine made an initial save.

Unlike Friday night however, Michigan came out strong in the second period, essentially putting the game away. Bennett and Ann Arbor native Andrew Copp each scored power-play goals and the Wolverines outshot NMU 16-to-3 in the period and 50-to-20 in the game.

Copp added another goal in the third period on a penalty shot, giving him a pair on the night. It was the second penalty shot of the night for the Wolverines; however A.J. Treais was unsuccessful in his attempt during the second period.

Copp, Trouba and fellow freshman Cristoval Nieves each finished with two points, sparking the Wolverines a night after Berenson said his players learned how tough it was to win in the playoffs.

“It’s really good for the young players. Some of them were a little surprised about the intensity and maybe just the pace of the game for the first playoff game,” Berenson said. But they were up to speed tonight there was no question.

Copp agreed with his coach. “I was a little surprised at the pace of the game and I think tonight I had a bounce-back night,” Copp said. “It was a lot grittier and that’s the style we have to play if we’re going to keep going forward.”

Racine, also a freshman, made 18 saves on the night.

The Wolverines finish 9-0 all-time against Northern Michigan in CCHA playoff contests.

Michigan moves on to the quarterfinals of the CCHA playoffs, but its opponent is yet to be determined. The Wolverines will travel to Notre Dame or Western Michigan for a second-round series.

“All I know is that we have a game on Friday and that’s all we’re focused on right now,” Bennett said. “This momentum is definitely going to carry over and I think with the group we have and with the goaltending we’re having right now, we’re going to be a tough team to beat.”

Matt Durr is a freelance reporter.

An image captured during the Oct. 12 post-game brawl between Pioneer and Huron High School players and coaches.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

As charges against three Pioneer football players involved in a post-game brawl make their way through the courts, some in the Ann Arbor community, including school board members, say the three are being treated unfairly because they're black.

Public outcry over the cases has grown recently after one of the three players was found responsible on a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery.

Leslie Hollingsworth, who is among those working to raise awareness of the case in the community, said it’s important for people in the community to notice the only three people charged in the brawl are black students. Hollingsworth, an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, is concerned about the effect the charges will have on their futures.

"These three young men were in school, playing football for their school, and yet (only) they get charged with felonies and felonious assault, which can influence them for the rest of their lives in terms of jobs," she said.

The controversy started the night of Oct. 12 when players and coaches from the Pioneer and Huron football teams brawled at Riverbank Stadium. Three players have been charged — two are accused of kicking a Huron player in the face, causing injuries, and one is accused of swinging a crutch toward a group of players.

First student deemed responsible

Washtenaw County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Steven Hiller said Tuesday one juvenile was found responsible for assault or assault and battery on Feb. 6. In juvenile cases, the defendants are found responsible or not responsible, rather than guilty or not guilty, Hiller said.

Both juveniles were charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and assault or assault and battery.

The third student, Bashir Garain, 18, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.

Hiller confirmed the developments in the case without releasing the names of the juveniles. It is AnnArbor.com’s policy to not name juveniles charged with a crime.

A growing controversy

The resolution of the first case is the latest development in court proceedings that have angered some members of the public, including school board Trustee Susan Baskett.

"This has been really tough and emotional for the African American community," Baskett told AnnArbor.com.

Some in the community are unhappy prosecutors declined to charge then-Huron head coach Cory Gildersleeve, then-Pioneer head coach Paul Test or then-Pioneer assistant coach Vince Wortmann. The confrontation between those three started the melee.

When Gildersleeve and Test came together at midfield after the game, the two began a screaming match, and Test alleged Gildersleeve pushed him. Wortmann shoved Gildersleeve, touching off the brawl.

Prosecutors did not charge Wortmann, deciding he believed Test was in physical danger from the younger, larger Gildersleeve. Wortmann, who is black, was fired for his actions during the brawl.

The two teenagers, who were 16 at the time of the brawl, making them juveniles in the eyes of the law, were accused of injuring Huron player Will Harris. Harris was the only person injured in the fight and said he was kicked deliberately during the struggle.

According to the Ann Arbor police report from the Oct. 12 incident, Huron assistant coach Andre Parker told police the two players repeatedly kicked Harris during the fight.

Parker told police one of the accused students tweeted an apology to Harris for the incident after the game.

Since the charges were filed against the three Pioneer players, online petitions have circulated, seeking to get Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie to drop the charges. Supporters of the juvenile student who has yet to be tried have raised questions about the ability of the public defender to provide a proper defense.

A group formed to help this student, known as Student B by supporters, has scheduled at least two fundraisers. Save Our Sons, a non-profit organization, is selling tickets for an event it's calling Strikes Against Injustice at Colonial Lanes, 1950 S. Industrial Highway, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 22. A similar event was scheduled for last Friday.

As of Friday, a Facebook page for Save Our Sons had 75 likes.

Leslie Hollingsworth

University of Michigan photo

Hollingsworth said there’s a lot of concern about young black men making up a disproportionate amount of the criminal population. The students got caught up in the brawl, and the criminal charges against them seem to be over the top, she said.

“I haven’t heard anyone who disagrees with how easy it is for young people, who feel they’re helping out their coaches in an emotional moment, to get involved in that kind of brawl,” she said. “To have it made a criminal situation, especially with the realization of the long-term repercussions of felonies on all of the students, was just a major concern.”

Hollingsworth said the Feb. 20 forum inspired a lot of discussion among the people in attendance and the group came away with several ideas about what to do next.

Since the meeting, supporters of the students have been writing letters to Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Donald Shelton and Mackie, urging them to dismiss the cases. The group also asked the Ann Arbor Board of Education to discuss a resolution supporting the students and objecting to the charges, a measure that's scheduled to be discussed at the regular board meeting Wednesday.

Other ideas included asking the school board to investigate the questioning of students on school property by police, attending court proceedings, encouraging other forms of punishment such as in-school suspensions and peer mediation and the fundraisers, Hollingsworth said.

Part of the discussion at the forum revolved around unintentional bias, Hollingsworth said.

“Cultural issues get involved in African American youth being over identified,” she said. “That’s something we, as a larger Ann Arbor community, we have to pay larger attention to because I don’t think the community recognizes that.”

The forum also provided insight into the experience of the students when they were arrested, Hollingsworth said. The mother of one of the charged juveniles told attendees at the forum about the day when Ann Arbor police officers came to her door to arrest her son, Hollingsworth said.

The woman said two officers came to the front door, and she invited them inside. She noticed two more around back, in addition to two others on standby, Hollingsworth said. The woman felt like the implication was her son would try to escape, even though she was being friendly to the officers, Hollingsworth said.

Eventually, the officers realized the woman was cooperating and suggested she bring her son to the police station on the next weekday so he would be processed without having to spend the night in jail. However, the experience left a bad taste in the woman’s mouth, Hollingsworth said.

“It was sort of like, as an African American person, she had to be respectful, she had to counter the stereotype, in order to protect her son,” Hollingsworth said. “It sounded like such old stuff, from just way back.”

Court cases trudge on

While the discussion about the charges heats up, the court cases are nearing their end.

Records show the juvenile found responsible was offered a plea deal just before his trial on Feb. 6, but declined to plead responsible to one count of aggravated assault. He is scheduled to return to court for a dispositional hearing at 10 a.m. on March 19.

The second juvenile is scheduled to go to trial on March 25, Hiller said. According to court records, Harris identified that student by the type of football cleats he wore during the incident.

Garain, who was charged as an adult, is scheduled to go to trial on April 1. Garain is accused of swinging a crutch toward players on the ground during the brawl.

K-12 education reporter Danielle Arndt contributed to this story.

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

At an early age, Aaron Mukerjee began to take notice of those less fortunate than he.

His parents are from India, and on visits there he noticed the extreme poverty there. He began to donate some of his allowance to help educate children living there.

As he grew older, Mukerjee began looking for ways to make a difference in his own community of Saline.

Aaron Mukerjee was the 2012 AnnArbor.com Young Citizen of the Year.

It’s that spirit of leadership and community service that AnnArbor.com seeks to honor with the Young Citizen of the Year Award. Mukerjee won the award in 2012. We’re accepting nominations of deserving high school students for the 2012 Young Citizen Award through April 1. The award was created by The Ann Arbor News in 1998 to honor community service and leadership on the part of area high school students. After The News closed in 2009, AnnArbor.com announced that it would continue recognizing the service and leadership of young people in our community.

"Each year, we at AnnArbor.com are humbled by the good work we see these students doing," said Laurel Champion, AnnArbor.com executive vice president. "We hope readers will take the time to tell us about students they see making a difference in their neighborhoods and in the broader community."

The winner and nine finalists for this year’s award will be announced in June.

The winner receives a $2,000 scholarship from AnnArbor.com. Finalists receive $1,000 scholarships from the Robert Bruce Dunlap Fund of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

To nominate a student, fill out the form below:

This crumbling stretch of East Stadium Boulevard in front of the Big House has gotten worse recently with the freeze-thaw cycle blowing open new potholes. City officials said the road won't be repaved until 2016 when the city can capture federal funding. In the meantime, motorists might experience a bumpy ride as the city tries to keep up with patching the deteriorating section between Main Street and the new Stadium bridges.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

"It's pretty irritating," she said of the crater near the end of her driveway that's been growing in size as temperatures have fluctuated between warm and freezing lately.

"It's only gotten worse with the snow and ice piled on it, and then the city taking a while to make it to our neighborhood to plow, so it has cracked more," she said. "Now it's just a mess."

Luckily, Bankston said, traffic in her cul-de-sac isn't too busy, so she usually isn't coming face-to-face with another vehicle when she drives on the other side of the street to avoid the damaged area.

This pothole on Baylis Drive in south Ann Arbor has been irritating residents for weeks.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

According to Ann Arbor officials, a citizen-reported pothole will be patched within 24 weekday hours, weather and other activities permitting.

Residents can call 734-99-HOLES to report potholes in the city. They also can place a pothole repair order via the city's online request system.

Since Jan. 1, the city has received 99 citizen reports of potholes, including 34 submitted through the online system and 65 submitted by calls to the hotline.

"Pothole patching is ongoing throughout the city," said Nick Hutchinson, interim manager of the city's project management unit. "This time of the year is the toughest on our streets."

Michigan's temperatures are infamous for rapidly alternating between cold and warm this time of year, causing freezing and thawing conditions that result in street potholes.

Potholes are caused by water entering through cracks in the street and then pooling under the surface in the street sub-base. Each time the water freezes and expands, and then thaws again, the street becomes damaged, and potholes are created.

City crews regularly have been patching potholes in Ann Arbor since the end of November, said Kirk Pennington, the city's field operations supervisor.

Pennington said the workload varies with the swings in temperatures, but the city is seeing an increase in the quantity of patching material being used.

A car drives past a pothole at the intersection of Fifth Street and Madison Street on Friday in Ann Arbor.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

In Ann Arbor, East Stadium Boulevard in front of the Big House consistently is cited as one of the most affected roads, which has worsened with recent freeze-thaw cycles.

Hutchinson said the road won't be repaved until 2016 when the city can capture federal funding for the project. The city's Capital Improvements Plan shows $3.34 million planned for complete reconstruction of Stadium Boulevard from Hutchins Avenue to Kipke Drive in fiscal year 2015-16.

In the meantime, motorists might experience a bumpy ride as the city tries to keep up with patching the deteriorating section just west of the new Stadium bridges as potholes emerge.

Another bad spot is Ann Arbor-Saline Road at the Interstate 94 overpass. Officials recently announced a resurfacing project planned for the area is being pushed back to 2014 after the Michigan Department of Transportation could not find the funding to make the project happen this year.

The project has been in the planning process since 2011 and is a partnership between MDOT, the Washtenaw County Road Commission and the city of Ann Arbor.

Roy Townsend, managing director for the Road Commission, said thousands of potholes are prevalent this year across the county on both paved and unpaved roads. He said the commission already has spent about $250,000 patching potholes since Jan. 1.

A car drives over a crumbling section of East Stadium Boulevard on Friday. Another car's busted hubcap was sitting in the road nearby.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

He believes this year is worse than past years due to the numerous freeze/thaw cycles and a lack of investment in roads in Michigan, causing them to continue to deteriorate.

"We are finding numerous potholes on our aged pavements with moderate to heavy traffic volumes," he said. "Currently based on our 2012 pavement evaluation, over 50 percent of the roads in Washtenaw County are in poor condition, which is the same for the rest of the state."

Townsend said that's one of the major reasons why Gov. Rick Snyder is pushing for a $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion funding increase per year for roads in Michigan.

"Roads are funded with gas and diesel taxes, which have not changed in 15 years for gas and nearly 30 years for diesel," Townsend said.

The Road Commission takes care of county roads and state trunklines within the boundaries of Washtenaw County, including I-94, US-23, US-12 (Michigan Avenue), M-14, M-52, M-17 (Washtenaw Avenue), M-153 (Ford Road connected to M-14), Ecorse Road, and the Willow Run bypass.

Citizens can report potholes on county-managed roads by calling the Road Commission at 734-761-1500 or by sending an email to wcrc@wcroads.org.

Pennington said the city of Ann Arbor plans to spend $224,289 combating potholes on major city streets this year, and another $72,800 on local neighborhood streets.

Jackson, Huron, Barton, Fuller, Packard and Pontiac Trail are the major streets where potholes are most frequently being noticed, he said. The local neighborhood streets experiencing the most frequent potholes, he said, are on the city's resurfacing list for this year.

Madison Street in Ann Arbor is expected to be reconstructed from Seventh to Main this year, which presumably would fix this pothole at the intersection of Madison and Fifth streets.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Crews make regular visits to locations where potholes are known to frequently occur to try to reduce the size or duration that a pothole might exist.

"Pothole patching is a reactionary type of task," Pennington said. "And where one wasn't yesterday, there may be one today."

Once a road reaches a certain condition or age, very little can be done to prevent potholes outside of repaving, he said.

Holes on paved roads throughout Washtenaw County are being filled by Road Commission crews with cold patch, which is a mix of an oil product and small stones.

"We place between 800 and 1,200 tons per year countywide," Townsend said, adding the commission has realized a significant cost reduction over the past few years by making the cold patch itself.

The in-house batch performs better, Townsend said, and it costs $62 per ton versus roughly $90 per ton if purchased from a vendor.

Holes on unpaved roads are being filled by Road Commission crews with limestone or gravel depending on the material with which the road is surfaced.

In an effort to help reduce the damage on roads, the Road Commission as of Feb. 25 has imposed seasonal weight restrictions, which are legal limits placed on the loads trucks can carry.

"During late winter and early spring, when seasonal thawing occurs, the maximum allowable axle load and speed is reduced to prevent weather-related breakup of roads," Townsend said. "This helps preserve the roads, but it does not prevent potholes from occurring."

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.

Ann Arbor residents Kevin and Jen Pakravan are looking for a home in the area.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

He has browsed hundreds of property listings online and toured about 25 homes in the Ann Arbor area. But mostly, he’s felt a lot of pressure from competing buyers.

“Inventory of good houses is low,” he said. “Even as they come (on the market), they go within less than a week. It’s usually a couple days.”

Srivastava is not alone in his experience: Activity in the Ann Arbor area housing market has accelerated in the past several months as more buyers look for homes and inventory shrinks.

Realtors and house hunters are reporting a low inventory of homes for sale in the county.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

According to data compiled by the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors, there were 319 residential listings entered in January across the county, a 20 percent drop from January 2012.

In many of the county’s larger subdivisions — like Foxfire, Arbor Hills, Briar Hill and Arbor Pointe — only one or two homes are currently listed for sale. Data pulled by Keller Williams’ Martin Bouma shows that of nearly 2,000 homes in 10 subdivisions, nine are listed for sale and five of those are under contract.

“I don’t recall ever seeing this kind of frenzy that we’re seeing right now,” Bouma said.

Rick Taylor of Charles Reinhart Company added: "It's shockingly low inventory. It's the sellers who have the power right now."

In January, Ann Arbor residents Jen Pakravan and her husband, Kevin, amped up their search for a home in the area. After finding a house they “fell in love with,” they made an offer for $1,000 below listing price.

“We came to find out that other buyers offered more than asking price and they did so without even seeing the house first. That’s the market we’re in right now,” Jen wrote in an email interview.

The Pakravans' experience reflects trends happening nationwide: The National Association of Realtors reports housing inventory in January was down 4.9 percent from January 2011.

"Buyer traffic is continuing to pick up, while seller traffic is holding steady," said Lawrence Yun, the group's chief economist. "In fact, buyer traffic is 40 percent above a year ago, so there is plenty of demand but insufficient inventory to improve sales more strongly. We've transitioned into a seller's market in much of the country."

Realtors are attributing the low inventory in Washtenaw County to several factors, including:

• More buyers are entering the market thanks to improving economic factors and job growth in the county

• Sellers who were upside down on their mortgages have been unable to sell their homes

• Buyers want to take advantage of historically low interest rates

• The number of foreclosed-property listings is declining

• People considering selling their homes are concerned they won’t find something to buy

Bouma said it’s common to have multiple offers — and even sight unseen offers — above listing price on homes in Washtenaw County right now. He said a house in the Fleming Creek subdivision northeast of Ann Arbor recently had a half dozen competing offers and sold for $30,000 above the $389,900 listing price. He's also getting multiple full-priced offers on houses in the Lincoln school district, he said.

That’s reflected in year-end home sale data from the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors, which shows home sale prices in the county were up 9.2 percent in 2012 over 2011. In January, home sales in the county were up 33.7 percent over the same period in 2011. Still, the average 2012 sale price of $210,616 is well below the average sale prices a decade ago, and appraisals haven’t caught up with what buyers are willing to pay.

But with the low inventory and high demand, Realtors say prices will continue to rise.

“If you’re a seller, this is the time to sell,” Bouma said. “It’s definitely a very strong sellers' market.”

Matt Dejanovich of Real Estate One said his advice to house hunters is to tour a house as soon as the listing hits the market. Otherwise, he said, “the house may very well be sold.” He said buyers can find homes for sale in the county, but they may have to compromise on some desired features.

“Certainly, the homes that come on the market that are picture perfect, that are flawless in most every way, those homes are selling quickly at or above the asking price with lots of interest…I’ve been able to find some options (for buyers) if they’re willing to compromise on maybe a thing or two.”

For some house hunters, like Jonathon Njus and his wife, Nori Flautner, the lack of housing inventory is leading them to consider renting instead.

The couple recently moved to Ann Arbor from the Washington D.C. area and they are struggling to find the right house for sale in the Ann Arbor school district that's in their price range. Along with their two daughters, they are currently living at Flautner’s mother’s house until they find a home.

"At some point, if we don’t have a house by the summer, then we’re going to have to rent a house…which we don’t want to do,” Njus said.

Bouma anticipates that as the county enters the busy spring market, buyers could see a wave of new listings. He also thinks the thousands of homes that were converted to rentals during the recession will be listed for sale as the market continues to improve.

“I think (the market) is going to flip the other way just as quickly,” he said. “I honestly believe that within four to eight weeks, we’re going to have a lot more inventory.”

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

One of the fringe changes affecting most of us as we age is the additional time we spend on reflection and introspection, anguishing over our many missed opportunities, looking back with regret at the poet’s “road not taken.”

The trouble, of course, is that accurate measurements of success or failure are not evident until long after the fact, long after the opportunity for repair has passed. As loving mates and parents, our goals are all pretty much the same - to do everything we can for them now and in their futures - but the continuing unease is in trying to determine how that “all we can do” obligation is defined and measured.

Early memories, such as the first trip the whole family took a ski trip, can be some of the most valuable keepsakes one can leave their children.

AnnArbor.com file photo

As one example of many, providing a solid financial base for our dependents is a good way to ease the uncertainties of their future, but that takes a talent not readily available to most of us. Looking back at my own opportunities, for instance, I should have bought some of those cheap lots in Aspen before the ski-craze drove them out of sight, or I should have gambled on one of those little firms with the funny names like Google or Yahoo, but that assumes more insight or luck than might attach to most of us.

But while such an approach - if it works - provides financial security, there are other, greater needs that must yet be attended and that is where the insights of age may help bring us back to the fundamentals. My wife’s father, for example, once told me that the only thing of real value you can leave your children are memories—an observation that grows increasingly profound with the years. Those early ski trips with our children, for example, are an essential and irreplaceable part of our lives. And the family’s long summertime weekends visiting the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Canada, attending the theater in the evening then swimming in the flooded quarry of a nearby town the next day, are magical moments now irreplaceable. Even the car-trips east to visit grandparents - despite the kids’ bickering and complaints of boredom - still shine as honored pieces of the past.

A bit less clear is what advice would the more mature me now give my kids and I guess the answer is - very little. By the time they would have been old enough to ask the right question or understand my probably contrived response, their inherent nature would have better advised them what path to take.

And that is one of the problems of aged retrospection: revisiting the early days of our past and reevaluating its many moments from the vantage point of our maturity gives us more nostalgia than wisdom and better serves our fantasies than our family. Because our earlier days were so filled with the necessities of guiding and providing and surviving, we may overemphasize some of the special parent-child moments that may have been lost in the process, expanding a guilt we may or may not deserve, but prefer to forget.

Meanwhile, wisdom may not come with age, but hindsight does. As antiquated survivors, we may not fully understand where we had gone wrong as parents, or even if we had gone wrong, but decades later, evaluating a distant past can be depressing and unproductive. After all these many decades, some details of days long gone are better forgotten or ignored or redesigned. At some point, after all, it is just too late to make a difference. Much better, instead, to concentrate and build on what still remains.

And maybe that is why God invented grandchildren.

Robert Faber has been a resident of Ann Arbor since 1954. He and his wife, Eunice, owned a fabric store and later a travel agency. He served a couple of terms on the Ann Arbor City Council. He may be reached at rgfaber@comcast.net.

A 30-inch Samsung TV was stolen sometime on Saturday from a room on the 500 block of East Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti, according to the Ypsilanti Police Department.

According to police, there is no suspect at this time, and no additional information was available.

Police continue to investigate the incident.

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The Southeastern Michigan Science Fair took over Washtenaw Community College's Morris Lawrence building on Saturday with hundreds of projects on public display.

The fair includes the projects of middle and high school students from Hillsdale, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe and Washtenaw counties.

Staff photographer Daniel Brenner was there to capture these images.

Michigan airports on the air traffic control closure list are Ann Arbor, W.K. Kellogg in Battle Creek, Coleman A. Young in Detroit, Jackson County-Reynolds Field in Jackson, Muskegon County in Muskegon and Sawyer International in Marquette County's Sands Township.

Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com

Six air traffic control towers in the state are among 238 that could close nationwide, and two other airports could eliminate overnight shifts in early April as the Federal Aviation Administration prepares to shut off funding for those services. The shutdowns are the result of the FAA's move to reduce spending by $600 million under automatic federal budget cuts. The FAA cuts affect mostly small- and medium-size airports, though officials predict flights to major cities could have delays.

Officials at some of the airports targeted for tower closings said they expect the airports to remain open but raised concerns about safety and efficiency. The FAA said it will consider keeping some towers open on a case-by-case basis if local authorities can prove its tower closure would "adversely affect the national interest."

Michigan airports on the air traffic control closure list are Ann Arbor, W.K. Kellogg in Battle Creek, Coleman A. Young in Detroit, Jackson County-Reynolds Field in Jackson, Muskegon County in Muskegon and Sawyer International in Marquette County's Sands Township. The towers at the Lansing and Willow Run airports are on the list of 72 nationwide that could close overnight through the elimination of midnight shifts for air traffic controllers.

Furloughs of air traffic controllers won't kick in until April because the FAA is required by law to give its employees advance notice. Officials have warned that the busiest airports could be forced to close some of their runways, causing widespread flight delays and cancellations.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood predicts flights to cities such as New York, Chicago and San Francisco could have delays of up to 90 minutes during peak hours because fewer controllers will be on duty.

"Muskegon County Airport will remain open if the (changes go) into effect," said Bob Lukens, community development director for the western Michigan county along Lake Michigan that operates the facility. "We have twice daily flights to Chicago O'Hare on United Express, and those will still be happening, provided they can get out of O'Hare."

Lukens said pilots will have to communicate with each other instead of relying on the airport tower to direct traffic. While it's preferable to have controllers in the tower, he said "the pilots are used to this — they talk to each other."

Still, he said the county remains concerned. He wonders, for example, what effect the potential closure will have on the U.S. Coast Guard, which operates an air station out of the airport in the summer.

"One of the criteria is that the FAA is unable to consider local community impacts — it has to be more of a national interest and impact," he said. "We do have a number of comments that we will make but I don't know if those will be considered."

Jason Watt, general manager for Detroit's Coleman A. Young airport, said the facility also intends to stay open and control traffic with help from the tower at Detroit Metropolitan Airport more than 20 miles to the southwest. But the much smaller city airport will lobby to keep its facility.

"Our tower is essential to operations at the airport," he told The Associated Press in a statement. "It could pose a significant risk to air safety for our tower to be uncontrolled. An uncontrolled tower would also be a security risk, relative to Homeland Security issues."

W.K. Kellogg's operators contend they have a compelling national case to keep their tower open and they are assembling comments from a tenant base that includes Western Michigan University's College of Aviation, the Battle Creek Air National Guard, and Duncan Aviation, which it says is the largest privately owned aircraft remanufacturing firm in North America.

"We will not be able to operate at the capacity we operate today — our tenants will have to reduce the amount of flying they do," said Larry Bowron, Battle Creek's transportation director and president of the Michigan Association of Airport Executives.

"My tenants are all for reducing spending. However, it needs to be done in a logical, thoughtful, intellectual way."

Bowron is concerned by assurances that "airplanes can still come and go" without air traffic controllers in towers. He compares it to parking lot attendants for large events, who direct and divert traffic to ease congestion.

"They do that because it's the most efficient and safest way to get people into the parking lot," he said. "Our controllers ... handle 55 to 60 aircraft an hour sometimes. We can't have that — seeing and being seen without air traffic controllers."

The FAA this past week held a telephone conference call with trade associations representing airports and airport executives. They were told they have until Wednesday to send comments to the agency making their case as to why a particular tower should stay open or airport should stay open overnight and officials will make a decision on a final list by March 18.

What do residents what to see changed, built or improved on in Ypsilanti?

They will have the chance to give their two cents next week as the city continues its master plan design process that will help shape the city for the next several decades.

Officials are questioning how to further develop Ypsilanti's Depot Town.

AnnArbor.com file photo

From Tuesday through Friday, Shape Ypsi will hold a series of discussions about what residents would like to see change or remain the same in the various diverse neighborhoods. At the end of the week, officials and consultants hired to help design the plan will synthesize the information and present the public's ideas.

“We want to hear from the public, what we should preserve, what is working well, and what do we need to completely change,” said City Planner Teresa Gillotti, who said housing, transportation, census and other data will serve as the framework for the discussions.

“But we are going to be planning for the community, so we need to hear how to do that from the community.”

The series kicks off with an information session at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Riverside Art Center, 76 N. Huron St.

On Wednesday, March 13 at 3:30 p.m., residents, business owners and students are invited for a walk between the Eastern Michigan University student center to downtown to discuss the relationship between the university and Ypsilanti.

Among the topics are how the geographical layout affects the relationship between the two communities, the physical barriers between the school and business community, the partnerships - or lack of - between the city and university, the housing district between the school and commercial area and how all these factors play together to form the relationship between EMU and downtown business.

“The hope is to have a rich dialogue about physical changes or improving relationships - there’s a lot that can come out of walking and talking about it,” Gillotti said.

A second walk between Depot Town and downtown is planned for 5:30 p.m. from the Depot Town Freighthouse to the downtown Ypsilanti studio serving as a temporary base for the project.

Among the primary topics of that walk is how to prepare to further develop Depot Town once there is a commuter rail stop, ideas for the vacant Boys and Girls Club of Ypsilanti and a discussion about the Water Street project.

On Thursday, March 14 at 4 p.m., residents are invited to gather at the Parkridge Community Center, 591 Armstrong Drive, for a walk through Ypsilanti’s southside to discuss with planners and police what can be done to stabilize the neighborhood, what programs might be useful for residents there or how to create jobs among other topics.

Residents also can drop in to the studio at 206 W. Michigan Ave. and discuss ideas with planners and designers any time on Wednesday and Thursday.

At 5 p.m. on Friday, the community is invited to a presentation from the planners at the downtown studios on what they heard the community would like to see happen and receive further feedback on those ideas, which will be used as guides to developing the plan.

Gillotti said she wants to hear exciting ideas, but she also wants to make sure they are within the city’s means and realistic for an area with financial challenges.

“One of the things tempering the entire conversation is that Ypsilanti has changed a lot in 20 years… so we want to make sure we’re realistic,” Gillotti said. “There’s a lot to be considered and we want to be very realistic; not have pie in the sky ideas, but still be innovative and creative.”

Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter. Reach the AnnArbor.com news desk at news@annarbor.com.

Glassbox Coffee on the corner of South University Street and Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

"People kept coming in and saying things like, ‘glasshouse’ or 'aquarium' or 'fishbowl,'" Friend said. "None of those things sounded that good. Then somebody mentioned ‘glassbox.’ It’s an architectural term and I just thought it sounded nice."

Glassbox Coffee, 1335 S. University Ave., will officially open Monday, in a roughly 700-square-foot space leased from Campus Realty.

The shop will serve specialty coffee and espresso drinks, as well as fresh artisan juices.

"We take great care in sourcing our beans," Friend said. "The roasters we buy from are without any doubt a few of the top 10 in the entire country."

Glassbox Coffee on the corner of South University Street and Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

The espresso beans will be from Gimme! Coffee and the featured coffee beans will rotate between Verve, Stumptown and Michigan's own Madcap Coffee.

The fruits and vegetables used in the all-natural juices are sourced from Ann Arbor's Frog Holler Organic Farm.

"Some people have the wrong impression that juices have to taste bad," Friend said. "If you use really fresh, quality ingredients, you can combine them in a way that’s really good."

For people who prefer more simple and straightforward juice, Glassbox has flavors like Orange Perfection, made with freshly juiced blood orange and mint. But those wanting something more complex can order juices like the KGB, made with kale, ginger, basil, cantaloupe, and pineapple.

"You would think that kale is so gross in a juice but when you combine it with certain things, you can’t taste it at all," Friend said. "It doesn’t taste like you’re drinking a salad."

In addition their actual products, Friend said he hopes Glassbox will be recognized for its staff as well.

"It’s about how you make people feel while they’re here," he said. "We want people to feel like we want them here."

Glassbox is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. As spring creeps in, Friend said hours will be extended and outdoor seating will be installed.

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Kody Klein is an intern for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at kklein@mlive.com

More than 2,600 participants attended the 2013 Shamrocks and Shenanigans in Ann Arbor on Sunday. The 5K is sponsored by downtown Ann Arbor's Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub and benefits the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital's Save A Heart program.

Race Director Steve Angerman explains they always try to outdue the previous year and this year's goals is to raise more than $60,000. This is the 14th year of the event.

When a life is on the line, emergency responders rush to the scene in hopes of saving it. But before the sirens start blaring, there are ordinary people who go above and beyond the golden rule and react in what many would find to be an extremely difficult situation.

Huron Valley Ambulance is a nonprofit emergency medical service that services all or part of eight counties, including Washtenaw County.

"They’re part of that chain of survival as well," said Joyce Williams, public affairs manager for HVA. "They’re often the ones who call 911, they’re often the ones who start the care."

The program began in 2005 and is intended to honor anyone who has saved or attempted to save a life under extraordinary or unusual circumstances.

Many factors are taken in to consideration when evaluating what constitutes an extraordinary or unusual circumstance. Williams said many past recipients were distinguished because they risked their own well-being in order to save another person.

Though the program's aim is to recognize laymen heroes, Williams said emergency responders, including firefighters, police officers, and even HVA employees, are eligible for any act that went beyond the call of duty.

Nominees must live in the area serviced by HVA, which includes all of Washtenaw County, and must not have received any previous award for their heroic deeds.

Recipients will be announced at a ceremony dinner on May 21 at Washtenaw Community College. They will be recognized during the ceremony and presented with a certificate.

"It’s some recognition just to let them know that things they’ve done were very much appreciated," Williams said.

Williams said HVA usually tries to use the ceremony to reunite the recipients with the people they saved. She said it tends to be pretty emotional.

The ceremony also will recognize organizations receiving HVA Heart Safe Awards.

HVA distributes the awards to organizations who have automated external defibrillators in all buildings and a staff trained to use them, as well as a staff trained to perform CPR. These groups also must have cardiac emergency response plans that are practiced during routine drills.

"We wanted to recognize the business or organizations that took this seriously," Williams said.

Recipient organizations will receive a plaque distinguishing them as "heart safe" establishments.

Williams said past recipients have included South Lyon Community Schools, Dexter Community Schools and Lincoln Consolidated Schools.

Both the Heart Safe and Life Saving Awards programs are non-competitive. Applications can be found online and are due by April 19.

Seven teams from Saline placed third or better at the Destination Imagination regional tournament on March 2 in Parma, MI.

"Saline typically does really well at regionals," said Ginger Liemohn, a volunteer with Saline DI. "It makes us feel really proud."

Six of Saline's teams placed first and one placed third. Another team participated in the competition, but in the non-competitive division for youth-aged kindergarten through second grade.

DI is a nonprofit organization that runs an international tournament which engages about 125,000 young people, aged kindergarten through college, in team-oriented challenges.

Each year, the tournament features seven "central challenges." Each team chooses one of them and spends months working on a project to fulfill its requirements.

The challenges are classified as multidisciplinary, integrating elements of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with fine arts and service learning.

"It’s unlike science Olympiad or robotics where it focuses on one niche," Liemohn said.

This year's science challenge was to use wind energy research to design and create kinetic art, and to present an original story that features an "invisible visitor."

There also are smaller, timed instant challenges teams face at the competition.

"They never know what it’s going to be like and they have to think quickly," Liemohn said.

Saline's seven teams will proceed to the state-wide Affiliate Finals on April 20 at Central Michigan University. From there, any team that places second or better will proceed to Global Finals, May 22 in Knoxville, TN.

"We usually have one or two of the teams go onto the global finals," Liemohn said. "That’s just an amazing experience."

Gov. Rick Snyder has declared March "Michigan Maple Syrup Month" in honor of the industry's contribution to the state economy.

According to the state, Michigan ranks seventh in the U.S. with an average yearly maple syrup production of about 100,000 gallons.

The season starts in February in the southern counties of the Lower Peninsula and runs into April in the Upper Peninsula.

State Department of Agriculture Director Jamie Clover Adams says "Michigan Maple Syrup Month is a special time to acknowledge and recognize" the state's "vast, integrated network of" maple syrup "family farmers, processors, wholesalers and retailers."

Justin Timberlake was initiated into the Five Timers' club on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" when he hosted the show this past weekend—but locals may have missed what might have been a little shout-out to the University of Michigan football team during the episode.

In the last seconds of a sketch that featured Timberlake as a dancing, singing block of tofu, who's trying to draw potential customers to a restaurant called Veganville, the host and various cast members presented a version of the Harlem Shake. One of the dancers, on the left side of the screen, is wearing what looks to be a Wolverines helmet. Check it out the full sketch below.

Justin Timberlake - Bring It On Down 2... by IdolxMuzic

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

Have you met TED? Not the foul-mouthed teddy bear. TED talks have been recognized as a way to get good ideas spread and stimulate community dialog. Now TEDxEMU is bringing those ideas to the Quirk Theater stage at Eastern Michigan University.

While each TEDx in each community is independent, they all have several features in common with "TED's celebrated format: A suite of short, carefully prepared talks, demonstrations and performances on a wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration and wonder - and to provoke conversations that matter," according to the press release.

Don't worry; the speakers are not just someone off the street: Speakers are invited to give presentations. In a community like ours, the pool to choose from is deep.

Friday, March 15, 2013. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. $10, includes continental breakfast and lunch. You must pick up your tickets at any EMU Ticket Office or online at emutix.com. For more information visit TEDxEMU.com, find them on Facebook at fb.me/TEDxEMU or follow them at @OfficialTEDxEMU. The Quirk Theater is on East Circle Drive on the EMU campus, Ypsilanti. 734-487-2282.

Dexter will try to earn a spot at the Breslin Center this weekend.

• Related: Dexter girls get pregame brain stimulation from mints routine in state tournament run

Neither team was supposed to get this far.

But one of them will be going even farther.

Dexter and Saginaw Heritage will meet Tuesday night, 7 p.m. at Davison High School in a Class A state quarterfinal game, with a berth at the Breslin Center this weekend on the line.

Dexter is trying to become the second straight Washtenaw County team to make the Class A semifinals, after Huron did it last year.

And when Dreadnaughts coach Mike Bavineau started doing his homework on the team he would have to get by to get to East Lansing, he saw a Saginaw Heritage squad that strongly resembled his own.

“We kind of joked that they’re almost a mirror image of us,” Bavineau said. “Even if you look at their sizes and who they play, they’re almost a mirror image.

Neither team has a dominating scorer -- nobody from Dexter averages in double figures, and Jayde Abenth averages 12 points per game for Heritage.

And both can score from both the inside game and the outside game.

“They have a good point guard, they have a good shooting guard, they have a good inside game,” Bavineau said. “So I think that both teams will match up very, very well.”

But what’s perhaps more alike between the two teams is their road to this matchup.

Both teams scored upsets in their respective district title games against conference foes they had been swept by in the regular season. Dexter beat Huron, a team it had lost to twice in the last month, while Heritage beat undefeated Midland Dow.

And both teams pulled of regional final upsets to make it to Tuesday’s game. Dexter sank a last-second 3-pointer to top Farmington Hills Harrison, a team two spots out of the Associated Press top 10. The Hawks beat Davison, a team it had lost to by 30 two weeks earlier.

“Dexter is kind of a surprise team because everybody expected Farmington Hills Harrison to come out of that regional,” Heritage coach Tim Conley told MLive.com. “But a lot of people probably thought we’re weren’t going to come out of our regional either.”

If the Dreadnaughts make it through Tuesday, it will likely be with more of the shutdown defesve play that has gotten them this far. In its regional semifinal against Canton, Dexter went 18 minutes without allowing a field goal. In the regional final, it allowed no field goals and only 1 point in the final 13 minutes.

“We feel like if we can defend and play well on the defensive end it will give us a chance to win any game we play,” Bavineau said.

“I think it kind of helps you get into the rhythm of the game. You don’t necessarily focus on what’s happening on the offensive end, your total concentration and focus turns to the defensive end, trying to limit the other team’s opportunities to get quality scoring chances.”

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.

Firehouse Subs opened in the former White Market space on East William Street this week.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

The sandwich shop opened at 609 E. William St. in the space vacated by White Market last year.

“We’re just excited to be open,” Jessica said. “We waited two years to find our spot.”

Firehouse Subs opened on Monday in downtown Ann Arbor. The inside of the sub shop is decorated with an Ann Arbor theme.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Based in Florida, there are 592 Firehouse Subs locations, including one in Brighton and one in Grand Rapids. The restaurant serves sandwiches on toasted bread with steamed meats and cheeses, along with salads and other snacks.

Jessica said the chain is rapidly growing in Michigan and a dozen locations are slated to open in the next year. The Hammonds are looking to open additional Firehouse Subs in the Ann Arbor area.

“(Firehouse is) all over the south and moving this way,” Jessica said. “They’re coming here and it will soon be more of a known name.”

The Firehouse Subs location in downtown Ann Arbor is decorated with memorabilia from the City of Ann Arbor fire department, and there is a University of Michigan themed mural painted on the wall.

The restaurant raises money for the Ann Arbor fire department with a change jar, contractor bucket sales and by asking if customers would like to round their order to the nearest dollar.

“My husband and I are big on getting involved in our community,” Jessica said.

Firehouse Sub’s current hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

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

St. Patrick's Day returns Sunday, and several local events will mark the occasion. Here's a sampling (to add an item to the list, email AnnDwyer@annarbor.com):

• As a warmup on Thursday, enjoy a Gifts of Art Concert: Irish and Contemporary music by Kitty Donohoe, with Lance Wagner

• Have St. Patrick's Day Dinner at Livingston County Wildlife Conservation Club.

• Irish bar theBlue Leprechuan will open at 7 a.m. They will have St. Patty's T-shirts available and serve Irish breakfast $5 all day long.

• Arbor Brewing Company will open at 7 a.m. and feature a special breakfast menu a morning Happy Hour until 11 a.m. Dragon Wagon plays at 7:30 p.m.

• The Corner Brewery will offer a special breakfast starting at 7 a.m. at their St. Patricks's Day Extravaganza along with daily specials. Live music by Kevin and the Glen Leven. A beer bus will be running every 45 minutes between Corner Brewery and Arbor Brewing.

• The Ypsilanti Pipe Organ Festival is offering a special St. Patrick's Day concert.

• St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Saline will host a St. Patrick's Feast to benefit Father Patrick Jackson House.

• Grizzly Peak is featuring a special Irishfest menu.

• Bar Louie will be celebrating both Saturday and Sunday for their St. Patty's Party. $10 per day will get you breakfast, a T-shirt, DJs on Saturday night and live entertainment all day Sunday. They will also open at 7 a.m.

• Bill's Beer Garden will be opening for the St. Patty's weekend, March 15-17. 5-11 p.m.