A report to be presented to the University of Michigan Board of Regents is expected to discuss whether the school should offer unauthorized immigrants in-state tuition if they've been living in Michigan.
The Detroit Free Press reports Tuesday the report lays out pros and cons about making such a move. School spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said Provost Phil Hanlon could make a specific recommendation when he sends it to the regents.
A group of students gathered Monday outside the Fleming Administration Building in Ann Arbor to advocate for the university to change its policies about those living in the country without legal permission. The Coalition for Tuition Equality has been seeking a change for more than a year.
The university currently charges those students out-of-state tuition, which is much higher.
The Ypsilanti boys basketball team celebrates winning a district title over Huron.
Will Washtenaw County be sending a boys basketball team to the Breslin Center?
We’re about to find out.
Ypsilanti will take on Saginaw High, 7 p.m .Tuesday night at Grand Blanc High School in a state quarterfinal matchup. The winner will advance to a Class A semifinal Friday in East Lansing.
AnnArbor.com and Mlive.com will be conducting a live chat from the game, providing updates and chatting with fans.
Enbridge Pipelines Toledo Inc. will be hydraulically testing a pipeline it is leasing in Washtenaw County on Wednesday before it is put into operational use April 1.
The pipeline will be used to transport crude oil directly to Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Detroit refinery as a part of the $190 million Line 79 expansion project -- a capability Enbridge previously did not have.
Map of the Line 79 project.
Courtesy of Enbridge
The pipeline is 16 inches in diameter and is owned by Wolverine Pipe Line Company of Portage. Built in 1953, the line is not in use at this time.
The pipeline runs east to west from Fletcher and Ellsworth roads in Freedom Township, across Lodi, Pittsfield and Ypsilanti townships to Van Buren Township in Romulus. The line passes through a residential area just south of the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport in Pittsfield Township.
Enbridge has leased the pipeline and intends to use it to transport crude oil that will be flowing through the new Line 79 pipeline Enbridge is building in northwestern Washtenaw County, said Jason Manshum, spokesman for Enbridge.
As a safety precaution, Enbridge is testing the new line before running crude oil through it by running water through the line at a higher pressure.
“When we start using a leased line, we’ll always take this step of hydrotesting,” Manshum said, noting the procedure checks both the safety and integrity of the line.
It will be tested Wednesday during daylight hours, using a non-toxic water mixture that will be dyed fluorescent yellow and will be pushed through the pipe at a pressure of 1,500 psi. That's higher than the pressure at which crude oil would flow through the line at about 1,000 psi.
Signs will be placed along the line during the test asking people to stay a minimum of 100 feet from the testing area, Manshum said.
Residents within 100 to 110 feet of the pipeline were notified of the test in advance, and were given the option of staying in a hotel for two nights during the test at Enbridge’s expense. Enbridge gave residents who opted to stay in a hotel a food allowance, and covered boarding costs for pets.
About 30 percent of the residents living within 100 feet of the pipeline opted to stay in a hotel during the test, Manshum.
The primary reason to ask people living nearby to temporarily relocate is because of the inconvenience factor, Manshum said.
“There will be added vehicle traffic,” Manshum said. “We may have crews there before sunrise in the right-of-way area, and after sunset.”
Crews will be visually inspecting the pipeline during the test. The right-of-way easement along the Wolverine pipeline is about 50 feet on both sides, Manshum said.
Construction of Line 79 is almost complete. It runs adjacent and parallel to Enbridge’s Line 17, which takes crude oil from the cross-country Line 6B at the Stockbridge junction and transports it south to Toledo.
Line 6B gets its oil from the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. It also carries some oil from North Dakota.
The increased capacity Line 79 will provide means more oil will be flowing from Line 6B through Washtenaw County to the refineries in Toledo and Detroit.
Manshum did not know the last time the Wolverine pipeline in Washtenaw County had been operational. A message left at the Wolverine Pipeline Company for comment was not returned Tuesday.
The Line 79 project is slated to be operation April 1.
In order to finish the project on time, Enbridge agreed to a $1.3 million contract with the Washtenaw County Road Commission to fix roads the company damaged during construction.
If leaks are observed during the testing period, the Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety asks that people call the emergency line at (800) 858-5253.
For questions regarding Enbridge's testing of the Wolverine line, call 1-855-788-7806.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Several chickens were killed in this fire that destroyed a Northfield Township barn Tuesday.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
The horses and goats were saved, but several chickens perished in a fire that destroyed a Northfield Township barn Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
The fire broke out just before 12:45 p.m. in a barn behind a residence in the 9400 block of Spencer Road between Seven Mile and Eight Mile roads, said Northfield Township Fire Chief William Wagner.
“It was a horse barn way back out behind the house,” Wagner said.
The barn was fully engulfed in flames and the roof had collapsed when fire crews arrived. About five horses and eight goats -- six adults and two baby goats -- were already out of the barn, Wagner said.
Chickens inside the barn were unable to escape, however. Wagner said he couldn't be sure how many of them there were, but estimated there were less than 10 of them.
Fire departments from Northfield, Hamburg and Salem townships, as well as the Dexter Area Fire Department, assisted in getting the blaze under control, which took about a half hour, Wagner said.
Hay bales inside the barn burned much longer and the crews didn't clear the scene until 4:15 p.m.
The barn, which was about 30 foot by 50 foot, was a total loss. There was a teenage boy home at the time, but there were no reported injuries.
Wagner estimated the damage to be around $40,000. He said there were saddles and other horse-related equipment that was lost in the fire.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but is being investigated, Wagner said.
Google's move to Ann Arbor has been widely trumpeted as a sign high tech companies feel comfortable locating office in Southeast Michigan. However, the search engine has only hired approximately 300 of a promised 1,000 local employees.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com file photo
The Michigan Treasury Department filed a $3.1 million dollar tax lien against Google Inc. Nov. 27, 2012. The Lansing State Journalfirst reported that the lien, which has not been released by the state as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, was filed in Ingham County against the search engine company’s California-based headquarters for two non-payments of Michigan Business Taxes.
“Because they don’t own property in the state, the lien could not be placed against an office here,” Ingham County Register of DeedsCurtis Hertel said.
“The lien can only be placed on property, so it wouldn’t make sense to place a lien on the building if they are only renting. All liens on out-of-state corporations that do not own property in Michigan are filed through Ingham County.”
AnnArbor.com tried to speak with Google and MEDC, but they were not able to be reached for comment.
The tax credit was worth up to $38.5 million during a 20-year period, and was predicated on Google’s promise to add 1,000 jobs to the Ann Arbor area.
In 2010, a state audit found that the Michigan Strategic Fund, which was in charge of administering the tax breaks, had been negligent in ensuring that all taxpayers qualified for the credits they were receiving. However, a subsequent audit released in April of 2011 said the irregularities had been remedied.
It is unclear whether the current lien is in relation to the tax breaks received from the state and state treasury spokesperson Terry Stanton said the treasury does not comment on particular liens.
“Liens are placed to ensure that the department is in line to recover what it believes it should be recovered,” he said.
Hertel said he had no knowledge of why the lien was placed but that placing a lien on a person or company’s property usually is not the state’s first choice for recovering taxes.
“They usually try to get payment in several ways before it comes to this,” he said.
“A lien is against property, but the state can’t put a lien on out of state property. Either way it goes on the company’s credit report. I’m not sure what a $3.1 million lien would mean to a company as big as Google but it will be on there.”
Ann Arbor city treasurer Matthew Horning said he had not heard of the lien on Google before Tuesday.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2
The Pioneer High School student accused of using his crutch as a dangerous weapon during last fall's fight following a football game will continue on to trial.
Bashir Garain appeared in the Washtenaw County Trial Court Tuesday for his final pretrial hearing where Judge Donald Shelton granted the prosecution's request to a week adjournment of the trial's start date.
The trial date had been set for April 1 and is now scheduled to begin April 8. Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor Nimish Ganatra requested the adjournment due to a scheduling conflict with an "essential witness" of the prosecution.
Garain's attorney, Walter White, did not object. He told Shelton he still needed to supply a list of witnesses to the prosecutor's office.
Shelton granted the request and the hearing was over in less than five minutes. Throughout the proceedings, Garain silently stood behind he podium wearing a dress shirt, tie and vest. He didn't speak throughout.
When interviewed after the hearing, White would not discount the possibility of a plea deal being struck before the trial begins.
"You get a guaranteed result," White said about a plea deal in general. A trial, on the other hand, "you either win all the way or lose all the way."
White said there have been offers from the prosector's office, though he declined to elaborate on their details. Though there are no other hearings planned before the trial date, a deal could still be struck at this point, he said.
A group of protesters from Ann Arbor Concerned Citizens for Justice were on-hand before and during a hearing in the matter for the second time Tuesday. The group filled a courtroom in the morning where a disposition -- equivalent to a sentencing -- was adjourned in the case of one of the juvenile students in the same on-field fight.
The group says the cases against the three black students are racially motivated and have requested the prosecutor's office to drop all charges against Garain and a third student, a 17-year-old boy due in court April 5. The 17-year-old who appeared in court Tuesday morning already has been found responsible in his case.
Since he is 18, Garain is the only student being charged as an adult, which is why his name is being released. He faces two felony counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.
The Ann Arbor Board of Education got into the mix last week when it passed a resolution asking the prosecutor's office to "reevaluate the degree of criminalization" of the three students' alleged behavior during the fight.
"We appreciate the support from the community," White said, adding he and his client didn't solicit it.
When asked if the protests have affected the case in any way, White said, "It hasn't so far."
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Ypsilanti's Lavonte Davis goes up for a shot in the first half against Saginaw High Tuesday.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
Updated at 10:40 p.m.
GRAND BLANC -- The toughness that carried Ypsilanti to its deepest tournament run in three decades eventually showed through.
But by the time it did, the Phoenix were down by 17 to Saginaw High. And against the defending state champion, that deficit proved insurmountable.
The Phoenix outscored Saginaw in each of the final three quarters but couldn't dig out of its early hole in a 58-54 Class A state quarterfinal loss Tuesday night at Grand Blanc High School.
“I think we kind of showed the toughness that we had in us the whole game that we really should have come out with,” Ypsilanti senior forward Lavonte Davis said. “I don’t think we came out with that kind of toughness.”
Ypsilanti’s deepest playoff run since 1981 stopped one possession short of a Breslin Center berth.
Ypsilanti freshman Corey Allen goes for a basket against Saginaw High on Tuesday, March 19.
Down by three with 22 seconds left, Ypsilanti coach Steve Brooks called for a 3-pointer from freshman Corey Allen
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
. But forward Jaylen Johnson was fouled in the lane before getting the ball to Allen and made the second of two free throws.
Saginaw High inbounded and threw the ball the length of the court for an open dunk to go up by four. Time ran out before Ypsilanti could get another shot up.
The final possession wasn’t Ypsilanti’s only chance to pull even: the Phoenix missed five of six free throws in the final two minutes, including a pair with 31 seconds left that would have made it a one-point game. They went 17-of-30 from the line for the game and 7-of-14 in the fourth quarter.
“I think if we just work on some of the free throws it’s a different game,” Brooks said.
Senior Justin Bernard led Ypsilanti with 18 points, and Johnson had 15, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Ypsilanti (20-5) trailed by 17 after Saginaw High scored the first bucket of the second quarter, before outscoring the Trojans 47-34 the rest of the game.
After Ypsilanti made a bucket on its first possession, Saginaw High (23-3) went an 11-0 run. Ypsilanti scored only one more bucket until the 1:26 mark of the first quarter, and the Trojans led 22-7 after one quarter.
“It was really a shock,” Davis said. “The crowd is big, I think a lot of the younger, guys, even me, it was a bit of a shock.”
Saginaw High used its press defense and fast-break offense to force turnovers and get easy buckets. But more than their speed, Brooks said the Trojans’ aggression helped them build the early lead.
“They just really beat us to every loose ball, every 50-50 ball they got, early in the game, until we started getting them the last four minutes or so,” Brooks said.
From left to right, Ypsilanti's Lavonte Davis, Corey Allen and Jaylen Johnson walk off the court after losing 58-54 to Saginaw High on Tuesday, March 19.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
Ypsilanti starting guard Janeau Joubert picked up his second foul 1:57 into the game and had to head to the bench, leaving the Phoenix without one of its primary ballhandlers against Saginaw High’s formidable press.
He returned with six minutes left in the second quarter, only to pick up his third foul less than a minute later. He went back to the bench for the rest of the half.
“Janeau, he’s our decision maker out there, so it’s got a lot to do with it early,” Brooks said of his team's early struggles.
Ypsilanti climbed back and made it a 12-point game at halftime.
“We checked everybody’s pulse and made sure that we had no bullet wounds and that kind of stuff," Brooks said. "Guess what guys, they didn’t kill you. Now let’s go play.”
By the fourth quarter, Ypsilanti had made it a single-digit game.
“I’m really kind of glad that that charge happened because it really kind of shows some of the younger guys what you have to have and what you have to play with,” Davis said.
And despite the loss, Brooks said a team that features only two seniors playing regular minutes had nothing to lose.
“They’re tough kids, so I’m really proud of them,” Brooks said. “They made a great run to be so young, and it really teaches you a lot.”
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.
Ypsilanti junior Janeau Joubert is fouled on the side of the court in the second half of the game against Saginaw High on Tuesday, March 19.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
GRAND BLANC -- Within the first two minutes of Ypsilanti’s game against Saginaw High, starting point guard Janeau Joubert had already picked up a pair of fouls.
Ypsilanti coach Steve Brooks had to sit Joubert down and not coincidentally, the defending state champions jumped out to 22-7 lead. Joubert, the Phoenix’s floor general, sat helplessly watching from the bench.
By the fourth quarter, Joubert and his backcourt teammate, Justin Bernard, had four fouls apiece. Though most coaches would elect to sit key players in a game still within reach with that much time left to play, Brooks knew there would be no comeback without Joubert and Bernard in the lineup.
“They want to win win, man. And that’s kind of what it boiled down to, they wanted to win,” Brooks said.
Bernard and Joubert didn’t play conservative, as players tend to do in in that situation. Both stepped out high to challenge slashing guards Keyon Addison and Julian Anderson, and didn’t shy from contact under the hoop.
Saginaw coach Julian Taylor said he had his team attempt to get the pair to foul out, but to no avail.
"We realized that they had four fouls. I told my guys ‘we can’t sit back we have to continue to attack,” Taylor said. “But I thought they did a great job of playing with four fouls.
Taylor said he was surprised at how aggressive the guards played despite four fouls.
“My hats off to the coach. He instilled that in them. You gotta play hard no matter what. Four fouls, three fouls, one fould you gotta continue to play hard,” Taylor said. “Hats off for doing that.”
Knowing every reach could be their last, every attempt to take a charge could be called a block, Joubert and Bernard didn’t back down.
“We guard every day at practice and we teach them to guard without fouling, so we had confidence they would stay aggressive and not foul out,” Brooks said. “It says a lot about them.”
It’s one thing to be aggressive on the perimeter on your own man. But to stay committed and aggressive on help-side defense, that’s going above and beyond.
Justin Bernard leads Ypsilanti in transition during the fourth quarter of the team's 58-54 loss to Saginaw on Tuesday, March 19.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
But when Saginaw big man Algevon Eichelberger had a clear path to the basket in the fourth quarter it was 6-foot Bernard who stepped in to take the charge, and later in the frame Bernard went up and got a block leading to a transition bucket for Ypsilanti.
On a loose ball in the corner after Ypsilanti had cut the deficit to five in the fourth quarter, it was Joubert diving for a loose ball, not caring that his next misstep could be his last.
“Gotta give it your all. You got, go hard,” Bernard said. “Coach teaches us that every day, you know we just gotta go hard.”
The defense and sustained aggressiveness of Bernard and Joubert helped Ypsilanti outscore Saginaw 16-9 in the fourth quarter, but after their comeback fell short, Bernard could only be left to wonder what could have been.
“The way we played in the fourth, we should have played in the first,” Bernard said.
GRAND BLANC -- The Ypsilanti High School basketball team nearly came back from a 22-7 deficit against defending Class A state champion Saginaw High on Tuesday. But the Trojans proved too strong in the 58-54 win.
Daniel Brenner is a photography intern for AnnArbor.com.
It's ambitious, it's artistic and it's altruistic. It's the Ann Arbor Art Center's 30 x 30 Benefit Art Sale. The proceeds will benefit the Ann Arbor Art Center’s Art for Kids Campaign, which raises money for scholarships and helps support the expansion of their youth art programs.
Thirty artists are challenged to create 30 pieces of art each. The pieces are sold at the benefit for $40 each. The works will include paintings, photographs, mixed media, ceramics and jewelry.
While you can preview some of the work on Facebook, part of the fun in attending the event is the mystery of what will be found there.
Saturday, March 23, 2013. Noon-5 p.m. If not all artwork is sold, they will re-open the sale the next day at noon. $40 per piece of artwork. The Ann Arbor Art Center is located at 117 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. 734-994-8004 x101.
Described by Dowell as "a near-wordless, almost abstract depiction of an 80-foot groundfishing boat heading out of New Bedford, (Massachusetts)," "Leviathan" is the creation of Harvard University's Sensory Ethnography Lab.
Here's a trailer for the film.
The AAFF program description reads, "Lucien Castaing-Taylor (co-director of 'Sweetgrass') and Verena Paravel (co-director of 'Foreign Parts') paired up with sound artist Ernst Karel to create one of the most acclaimed films of the past year. In the very waters where Melville's 'Pequod' gave chase to Moby Dick, 'Leviathan' captures the collaborative clash of man, nature, and machine. Shot on a dozen cameras - tossed and tethered, passed from fisherman to filmmaker - it is a cosmic portrait of one of mankind's oldest endeavors."
A. O. Scott recently published a review of the film in the New York Times, stating that "Leviathan" "is committed, above all, to capturing the profound strangeness of an ancient and embattled way of existence, for man and fish alike."
The AAFF's screening of "Leviathan" happens Thursday at 7:15 p.m., in the Michigan Theater's main auditorium at 603 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor, and admission costs $9 ($7 for students and seniors). The film's sound wizard, Ernst Karel, will be in attendance at Thursday's screening.
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.
Jordan Marken golfs for Dexter High School in 2008. A golf scholarship has been established to Concordia University in his honor after Marken died Monday morning at the age of 22.
AnnArbor.com file photo
For Jordan Marken, 22, of Dexter, there were no other sports but golf.
The game carried him from summers spent on the greens as a young boy to Dexter High School and eventually to his second semester as a senior and captain of the golf team at Concordia University in Ann Arbor.
Jordan Marken
As a tribute to his love of the game, Marken’s family has established a golf scholarship in his name to Concordia University.
The cause of the crash is unknown. There were no other vehicles involved. Family members didn’t know why Marken was on that road at that time of night.
“It’s rough. He was on pace to graduate. There were so many big things ahead of him,” said Matt Distelrath, golf coach for Concordia. “He was in the spring semester of his senior year. It makes you realize how valuable your time is here.”
In honor of Marken’s importance to the team, the golf team will be playing one member down for the 2013 season, Distelrath said. They also will wear Marken’s initials on their shirt collars, Distelrath said.
Marken was planning on pursuing a career in pharmacy after graduation.
“He had the biggest smile,” said Marken’s mother, Linda Kukola of Dexter. “It took him a long way.”
Marken started golfing before the age of 10 at a golf course his grandparents own in Hillsdale.
“He was out golfing every chance he got,” Kukola said.
He attended junior and senior high school in Dexter, where he joined the golf team.
“While he was at Dexter, I loved having him on the team because he worked hard,” said former Dexter High School golf coach Frank McAuliffe. “He wanted to play good golf; he always asked questions.”
Marken played on the Dexter High School golf team all four years, and helped propel the team to some regional wins, McAuliffe said.
Jordan Marken golfs for Dexter High School in 2008.
AnnArbor.com file photo
“He was a big part of the team and we had some pretty good success with him on it,” McAuliffe said.
The Pierce Lake Golf Course in Chelsea was his favorite course, Kukola said.
After graduating from Dexter High School in 2009, Marken went straight to Concordia University in Ann Arbor.
In his freshman year on the team, he quickly became a standout as the top golfer. He’s the second-best golfer in the history of Concordia’s program, which was started in 2005, Distelrath said.
“He was very dedicated to it,” Distelrath said. “He was very, very serious about his golf game.”
After living in the dorms for his first two years of college, Marken moved back home to live with his mother and stepfather, Kevin Kukola, and commuted to school. During his summers and time off, he worked for his uncle at Elite Moving Company.
Marken liked to fish, hunt, canoe and play Frisbee golf. He leaves behind a large family in the Dexter community, Linda Kukola said.
Marken was Linda Kukola’s middle child and her only boy. Marken’s father, Richard Marken, lives in Chicago.
“He’s very outgoing, and always joking around; a very lighthearted guy,” Distelrath said. “He’s just a fun guy to be around. Everyone enjoyed his company.”
Marken’s family has requested that instead of flowers that a donation be made to a golf scholarship started at Concordia University. In the memo line of the check, write “In memory of Jordan Marken.”
Linda Kukola said the scholarship would be used to help students that don’t have access to the resources they need to succeed in golf. Marken himself was on a golf scholarship to Concordia.
“(The scholarship) helped him, and so we’d like to help someone else,” Linda Kukola said. “Jordan would have wanted that.”
Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Hosmer-Muehlig Funeral Chapel at 3410 Broad St. in Dexter, and from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday prior to the 11 a.m. funeral service.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
In an email sent to faculty and staff on Tuesday, Washtenaw Community College president Rose Bellanca defended the recent termination of her vice present of instruction.
Washtenaw Community College President Rose Bellanca
File Photo
Stuart Blacklaw, first hired in 2010, was fired on March 14, months before his contract expired in June.
"Although many of you may be under the impression that VP Blacklaw’s termination was sudden, former VP Blacklaw was fully aware of the terms and conditions of his contract," Bellanca wrote. "As this is a personnel matter, I am sorry that I cannot comment further."
Also in the Tuesday email, Bellanca assured faculty — who have questioned the flow of communication between WCC's administration and faculty — that "communication is extremely important to me."
"I have met with each division and individuals who have requested meetings to encourage collaboration. I have found these meetings valuable," she said. "As a result, either I or the Vice President responsible for the area will be sending you regular communications on college activities to keep you informed of the goings on at the college."
Read the e-mail in full below:
Dear Faculty and Staff,
My first and foremost concern is the wellbeing of Washtenaw Community College, its faculty and staff. There are many important issues and initiatives regarding some concerns that have been brought before me. I want to communicate and clarify some key issues for you.
Board Of Trustees Reports
There was a misunderstanding in the process which allows reports to be brought to the Board of Trustees. The official process is to submit the report in writing the Thursday prior to the board meeting so it can be included in the board packet. I encourage the curriculum and assessment committee to submit their reports to Mary Faulkner so that the Board of Trustees can keep abreast of their work.
Personnel Actions
Although many of you may be under the impression that VP Blacklaw’s termination was sudden, former VP Blacklaw was fully aware of the terms and conditions of his contract. As this is a personnel matter, I am sorry that I cannot comment further.
Communication
Communication is extremely important to me. I have met with each division and individuals who have requested meetings to encourage collaboration. I have found these meetings valuable. As a result, either I or the Vice President responsible for the area will be sending you regular communications on college activities to keep you informed of the goings on at the college. These are areas that you have expressed interest in:
The 2013-2015 WCC Strategic Plan
Department of Labor and other grant initiatives
Partnerships with K-12
Enrollment Updates and Strategies
WCC website audit
Other communication actions include:
The Marketing Department has reinstated broadcast emails
Human Resources Department will post the college’s hiring guidelines
Moving Forward
Interim Vice President for Instruction, Dr. Bill Abernethy, will address the following:
Academic Calendar
Accelerated Courses
Late Registration/Late Start Courses
Prerequisites for High School Courses
Credit and Non-credit issues
I am reminded each day of the many great things that are happening here on campus, in the classroom and in the community. I sincerely hope that this continued collaborative and open communication will help us to move the college forward.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Ypsilanti Mayor Pro Tem Lois Richardson believes there are too many medical marijuana dispensaries and grow facilities within city limits and wants the city to consider establishing a moratorium to prevent more from opening.
Mayor Pro Tem Lois Richardson, pictured here on March 19, wants the city to consider a moratorium limiting the number of medical marijuana dispensaries and grow facilities.
Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com
"For a city our size to have six, I think that's ample," said Mayor Pro Tem Lois Richardson, who is proposing the moratorium. "I hear a lot of complaints."
Richardson suggested the moratorium during the city council's Tuesday meeting, but the length of the possible moratorium was not made clear.
It has not yet been determined when Richardson will bring the moratorium before council.
The city currently has six medical marijuana dispensaries, with the possibility of a seventh opening on Huron Street.
However, City Planner Teresa Gillotti said the individuals interested in opening the location have yet to submit any paperwork to the city.
Wednesday, the city's planning commission will consider a special use permit for a medical marijuana grow facility on the city’s south side at 75 Catherine St.
The city already has one grow facility, the Green Vitality Remedies, on Mansfield Street. Another is hoping to open at 834 Railroad St. and is awaiting site plan approval.
Council member Ricky Jefferson said he's received complaints from residents as well throughout the city who are concerned about the number of facilities and dispensaries opening.
"It's not a good thing," Jefferson. "The residents I represent and some others are seeing them pop up everywhere and they're getting concerned over how many are in the city. We should find a way to cap their number."
Council member Brian Robb said he's never received any complaints on them and believes a cap was placed when the city decided that there must be 500 feet between each dispensary.
"Do we really want to say we can only have five of this?" Robb said. "I've never been in these places, but I don't hear any complaints."
Council member Pete Murdock said the city should consider waiting until the "dust settles" and recent state legislation is worked out to determine what the city's next step should be.
"I think they're on their own in terms of legality until legislation is done," he said.
State Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, recently announced he's working with lawyers at the state's legislative services bureau to draft a bill that would decriminalize marijuana in Michigan, and not just for medical uses.
The Supreme Court in February ruled marijuana dispensaries that handle patient-to-patient sales are not protected under state law. However, justices also said the appeals court was inaccurate when it determined state law prohibits direct sales of medical marijuana between patients and caregivers.
Across Washtenaw County, those rulings haven't stopped individuals from trying to open marijuana-related businesses. MediSwipe recently moved its headquarters from Florida to Birmingham, Mich., and is planning to open two offices in Ann Arbor before the end of March.
The first Ann Arbor location will be a doctor’s office with three physicians who will be able to write medical marijuana prescriptions.
Along with the mentioned items, they'll have collectibles, silver, art, vintage linens, rugs, purses, luggage, CDs, DVDs, videos, housewares, glassware, electronics, toys, sporting goods, sheet music, holiday items and more. They promise there will be many high-end items.
Everything is half off on Sunday. But go early to get the good stuff.
Saturday, March 23. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, March 24. Noon-4 p.m. Free admission. The Ann Arbor City Club is located at 1830 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor.
How far will Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke take the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA tournament?
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo
If you work in an office or date someone who knows what a Hoya is, chances are you know the importance of March Madness. Brackets, bragging rights, excuses to watch television at the office.
Each year, articles featuring combinations of the words "busted", "Cinderella" and "Gonzaga" run in reputable periodicals and on semi-reputable websites with prognosticator after prognosticator picking upset specials and Final Four darlings.
It's exhausting, even for those who get direct deposit for this stuff.
Just because I worked in sports doesn’t mean I know a thing about picking March Madness winners. It might actually be a handicap. I remember when UNLV was good and Michigan didn’t wear camouflage shorts.
The venerable John U. Bacon put it best: “The person who picks winners based on their favorite color will probably win. Once you come to terms with that, you’ll be okay.”
Without adequate knowledge to help you fill out your own March Madness bracket, I sought expert advice in the only place I knew to look: a brewery.
March Madness scientists: (From left) Pete Tiernan, Ira Weintraub, Wolverine State Brewing Company's E.T. Crowe, Sam Webb, John Bacon | photo courtesy of E.T. Crowe
Beer, brackets and mad scientists
Tuesday evening, the Wolverine State Brewing Company hosted Bracket Science Night—a loose term for the motley gathering of local radio celebrities, a best-selling author and one true basketball scientist. Sam Webb and Ira Weintraub from "The Michigan Insider" on Sports Talk 1050 WTKA anchored a gathering that featured author and noted Rich Rodriguez Christmas Card recipient John U. Bacon and CBS sportswriter and Bracketscience.com chemist Pete Tiernan. What better cross-section of brain power to help you pick the perfect bracket and properly waste your share of the expected $134 million that Americans will cost their businesses during March Madness.
Bracketology for beginners
Let’s start with the first rule of the bracket. A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed. So don’t pick North Carolina A&T to beat Louisville. They’re not the good North Carolina.
Tiernan has analyzed the field with numbers and whatever other junk his cyborg computers cooked up and has determined that the No. 1 seeds in this tournament are as strong as ever, while the middle seeds are historically weaker than previous tournaments. Tiernan’s analysis also showed that those sneaky upset-minded No. 11 and 12 seeds are better than they’ve been in previous years. Something to think about.
Another important thing to remember: Pick Michigan to win it all. That is, if you work for the Michigan athletic department. Just saying. On the QT. No pressure. (Shhhh, we’re being watched).
Next, analyze the regions. East, West, South and Midwest. No North? A definite bias against Canada. You’ll be hearing from lawyers at McGill University. The panel was unanimous in regarding the West Region as the weakest in the tournament.
“The throwaway region is the West,” said Webb. “Ohio State has a cakewalk to the Final Four.”
The West Region is also the bad coach region, according to Tiernan. Populated with teams led by perennial underachieving leaders Mark Few (Gonzaga), Jamie Dixon (Pitt), Mike Brey (Notre Dame) and Steve Alford (New Mexico). These coaches have been to the tournament many times but have never had much success. The links on their names will also take you to delightful photos of them screaming.
Who's in the Final Four?
All four prognosticators have Ohio State coming out of the West Region, and they’re also across the board choosing Louisville to advance out of the Midwest.
That’s where the uniformity ends. Webb and Weintraub pick Kansas to come out of the South and Miami out of the East, while Bacon and Tiernan choose Florida and Indiana to advance and dance.
Your winners? Bacon, Tiernan and Weintraub go with Louisville, while notorious Michigan hater Webb chooses the Buckeyes of Ohio State to cut down the nets.
Good luck getting Bacari Alexander to tweet at you now, sucker.
Upset specials and America's Team
The experts may have chosen all No. 1 and 2 seeds for their Final Fours, but which teams should you choose if you’re not old and scared (in general and of public humiliation) like our esteemed experts?
“They can’t be America’s team if you don’t know what state they’re in,” says Bacon of the loveable No. 1 seed from (Googling) Spokane, Washington.
Tiernan has run statistical models where Saint Mary’s advances out of the play-in game into the Sweet 16. He also has a model where Belmont makes the Final Four. It turns out that Tiernan has a model for pretty much every tournament outcome, which leads me to believe that he’s less Nate Silver scientist and more Walter White scientist.
Saint Mary’s? Please!
What about the Wolverines?
The outlook isn’t as grim as a loss to Ohio in the first round, but none of the experts predict that Michigan will end its season with a win. Tiernan is the most optimistic, predicting an Elite Eight berth, but Bacon, Webb and Weintraub see the Wolverines advancing to the Sweet 16 before being sent home by a superior Kansas squad.
“We romanticize this team a little too much,” says Webb, ”but I don’t think this team will come close to the Fab Five teams or the 1989 team. This team isn’t on that level. Trey Burke is tremendous, but as far as teams are concerned ”
For the record, Webb sees Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. returning, but not a chance in heck that Burke is wearing the Block 'M' next year. Unless that's the 'M' of the Miami Heat, or Milwaukee Bucks. Or another professional basketball team with an M in its name. Minnesota? Montreal? Moncton?
We love you, Trey Burke. Stay golden.
Bracket intangibles
Like any science experiment, there are intangibles like mold or Doug McDermott that can mess with the results.
According to Tiernan, this is the lowest scoring tournament field in the modern era of the NCAA basketball tournament. He also states that defense wins championships, but it only takes you so far in the tournament. So no one can score, but you need to score to win.
Takeaway: My brain hurts.
“There is a model that has Creighton advancing over Duke,” adds Tiernan, two sentences before demanding that the Earth revolves around the sun.
Takeaway: Scientist? Ha!
“Michigan State doesn’t defend screen action well, says Webb.
Takeaway: So watch out for teams in the Midwest Region that (mumble mumble basketball talk something smart).
Finally, never deny destiny and a “higher purpose” (not my words). The Saint Louis Billikens lost former head coach Rick Majerus to heart failure in December and have played amazing basketball ever since. I don’t like to compare real life tragedies to Danny Glover movies, but we might be smelling some Angels in the Backcourt this year.
“Sometimes when they play, you can see it,” says Weintraub, who is on board with the higher power theory. And also a part-time ghost hunter.
I picked Duke to win it all because I hate myself. I also picked Michigan to lose to Virginia Commonwealth in the second round because I won’t pick against a coach named Shaka Smart, nor something called a "Havoc" defense. I also picked Eastern Michigan to win its first game, even though they aren’t in the tournament, and Gonzaga to make it to the Final Four despite all the haters.
The question is: who do you have taking it all? Comment below so we can all make fun of your picks!
Police on Wednesday released a wanted poster for a man believed to have assaulted a woman as she was getting out of her vehicle in Ypsilanti Township March 10.
Police released this sketch of a man they are looking for in connection with an assault that occurred in Ypsilanti Township March 10.
Courtesy of WCSO
The suspect is described as a black man about 35 to 45 years old, between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet tall and of medium build, according to a release from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
The man has a light complexion with freckles on his face, a partial beard with
pronounced goatee and wears a black bandana, police said in the release.
Police said the man assaulted a woman at 3:30 a.m. March 10 as she was leaving her vehicle at an apartment building in the 1300 block of Elmwood Court in Ypsilanti Township. The building is across Clark Road from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Superior Township.
The victim was able to escape, and the suspect was seen fleeing the area in an older model burgundy color pickup truck, possibly with a standard size truck cab, police said. The pickup truck had an open cargo bed with no cargo cap or cover.
Police did not have any further information to release about the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Tom Sinks at the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office at (734) 973-4874, or the sheriff's office confidential tip line (734) 973-7711, or Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 1-800- SPEAKUP (1-800-773-2587).
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
A 50-year-old man accused of robbing the TCF Bank in Ypsilanti Township over the weekend was out on parole for four bank robberies committed in 2003, state prison records indicate.
John Joseph Sawaya, of Ypsilanti, was arraigned in the 14A-1 District Court by Magistrate Thomas Truesdell Tuesday on one count each of armed robbery and bank robbery.
Sawaya was appointed a public defender and denied any bond, according to court records. State prison records show Sawaya was currently on parole after serving just under 10 years on four counts of bank robbery. He was released from prison in August 2010 and was scheduled to be on parole until August 2013.
Police said Sawaya, dressed in a shirt and tie, walked into the TCF Bank at 2150 Packard Road at the corner of Hewitt in Ypsilanti Township about 2:25 p.m. Saturday and implied that he had a weapon and fled with money.
Even though police don't think Sawaya had a weapon, implying that he did is enough for an armed robbery charge.
“As long as you imply a weapon and the person being robbed is in fear that there is a weapon, then that counts,” said Sgt. Geoff Fox with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.
The next morning, an Ypsilanti police officer recognized Sawaya from the bank surveillance pictures and arrested him on Towner Street, according to the sheriff's office. Police said some of the money stolen from the bank was recovered during the arrest.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
The plans for a mixed-use project called Packard Square, replacing the Georgetown Mall once it's demolished, include a four-story building containing 230 apartment units and 23,790 square feet of retail space.
Harbor Georgetown LLC
To the chagrin of city officials and many residents, Ann Arbor's vacant and blighted Georgetown Mall still stands on Packard Road, but its days appear to be numbered.
Nathan Voght, economic development specialist for Washtenaw County, said on Wednesday afternoon the county is ready to proceed soon with demolition and environmental cleanup work being partially paid for by a $1 million state grant administered by the county.
Voght said the county has finalized a contract with the Wayne-based Environmental Quality Co. for both the demolition and soil remediation work.
"The major work will proceed once a contract between our selected contractor and the developer has been executed for non-grant related work," he said.
The Georgetown Mall property as it looked last year.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Voght said there's not much standing in the way of the demolition at this point, except the fact that grant-funded and non-grant work must move forward concurrently.
The non-grant work totals about $250,000 and involves demolition of a dry-cleaning building, remediation of the worst of the contaminated soil on the site, and about half the site demolition, including parking areas, light poles, curbing and other items.
"We have to make sure our contractor is locked in for the non-grant-funded work before we give them notice to proceed on the grant work," Voght said.
The county has been working with Bloomfield Hills-based developer Craig Schubiner of Harbor Georgetown LLC to clear some of the hurdles in the way of a major redevelopment.
Schubiner won approval from the City Council in January for revisions to his plans for a roughly $48 million mixed-use development called Packard Square, which includes retail and apartments.
He was optimistic in January that the former mall building could come down by February, noting preparation work, including asbestos and universal waste removal, already had started. His goal has been to have residents and retailers moving in by summer 2014.
Schubiner said on Wednesday there's nothing standing in the way of the demolition going forward now. As for financing his development, he said he'll likely have news to announce in April.
"We are also close to executing our contract for our portion of the demo and soil remediation," Schubiner said on Wednesday. "The city has informed us that our construction drawings have been approved and building permits can be issued."
Schubiner said interior asbestos and universal waste removal is now complete and DTE Energy power lines are in the process of being relocated to get them out of the way of construction.
"Tree removal for power line relocation has been completed," he said. "Construction fencing and demo work should be visible in the next few weeks. We'll have other announcements likely in April."
Schubiner wasn't able to demonstrate project financing to the satisfaction of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality last year to unlock the $1 million state grant. He received a six-month extension in October, giving him until April to show he had the money lined up.
City officials said in January that after some lobbying at the state level, the demolition grant was unlocked without Schubiner having to show proof of financing for the project.
Voght said he doesn't know the current status of project financing, but since the DEQ removed the financing condition from the grant, that's not holding up the demolition anymore.
Schubiner has told AnnArbor.com financing for the project is coming along well, though city officials have said they're hesitant to believe anything the developer says at this point. They're frustrated it's taken years to get to a point where demolition of the blighted mall is finally in sight.
Schubiner originally won approval from the City Council in May 2011 to redevelop the 2502 Packard Road site and build a mixed-use project called Packard Square that includes a four-story building containing 230 apartment units and 23,790 square feet of retail space.
The project also is expected to include a 144-space parking garage under the apartment building, as well as 310 surface parking spaces.
Schubiner originally hoped to break ground on the project in August 2011 and have it completed by the end of 2012 or early 2013, but the target dates have been pushed back multiple times.
The 34-year-old Ypsilanti Township man accused of killing a 15-month-old boy while baby-sitting will probably take a plea deal before the case goes to trial, his attorney said during a court hearing Tuesday.
Michael Curtiss appeared briefly before Judge Donald Shelton where his attorney asked that the pretrial hearing be adjourned one week
"We do believe at that time this matter will be resolved," said Lorne Brown, of the Washtenaw County Public Defender's Office, hinting that a plea deal is in the works.
Shelton granted the request and another final pretrial hearing was scheduled for March 26. If no deal is reach, a trial is set to begin April 15.
Curtiss is accused of pushing Chase Miller into a TV stand while baby-sitting for the boy last October. Miller suffered blunt force trauma to the head and died. The 15-month-old was the son of Curtiss' girlfriend, who was working at the time. Curtiss was snorting heroin the night of the incident, according to court testimony.
Curtiss is charged with open murder, first-degree child abuse and possession of less than 25 grams of heroin. He remains held in the Washtenaw County Jail without bond.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
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