Marie Klopf

courtesy of the Ann Arbor Art Center

Klopf has been serving in the post on an interim basis since December, following the retirement of longtime AAAC leader Marsha Chamberlin.

Here is the text of the announcement:

After an extensive search The Board of Directors of the Ann Arbor Art Center is pleased to announce that Marie Klopf has been hired as the organization’s new President/CEO. Marie has held the position of Interim President/CEO since December. She brings with her over 20 years of management experience specializing in business and organizational development and operations. Her experience has been garnered in a variety of diverse business environments. Most recently, Marie was the President of ISUPPLYCON, LLC.

"After conducting a lengthy search, it became clear that Marie's skills, personality, and experience are a perfect match for our organization.” said Chris Prisby, Chairman of the Ann Arbor Art Center Board of Directors. “We look forward to Marie leading us for many years to come."

As a graduate engineer from MSU with a Masters in Administration, Marie has been a long-time advocate and spokesperson for the national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) initiative. Recently STEM has been expanded to include the essential component of Art and has evolved nationally to become STEAM. “The thinking behind STEAM is that creative and critical thinking skills are essential to success in technical fields. Exposure to the arts and arts education are key to developing these skills. By offering creative, innovative, fun programming for all, the Ann Arbor Art Center is poised to lead the way. I am honored to spearhead our efforts and look forward to the challenge.”

The Ann Arbor Art Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging the community in the education, exhibition and exploration of the visual arts. Offering studio art classes, workshops, exhibitions, art camps and more, the Art Center is the place where creativity and community meet. For more information please visit www.annarborartcenter.org. Or stop by 117 W. Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor. Monday-Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday,12 p.m.-5 p.m.

• Related article: Nearly 100 students displaced by flooding at University of Michigan's North Quad

As a burst pipe let loose a flood of water in University of Michigan's North Quad dormitory students flooded social media with their reactions. See how it unfolded below.

Where you a student or University employee in North Quad today? Send us a photo using this form or on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #a2photos.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Michigan men's basketball team will play in its first Sweet 16 since 1994 on Friday and on Thursday took part in practice at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Melanie Maxwell is a photographer for AnnArbor.com.

For Washtenaw Community College students who plan to enroll in fall classes before Aug. 1, the school is offering an extra early-bird incentive: a 0 percent increase on your tuition.

WCC students who register for fall classes before August 1 will receive the a zero percent tuition increase.

Photo courtesy of Washtenaw Community College

“I strongly encourage our current students and students interested in enrolling at WCC this fall to take full advantage of this opportunity," said Rose B. Bellanca, president of WCC.

Registration begins on April 17, and anyone interested in taking advantage of the tuition freeze will have to make arrangements to be sure payment is made before Aug. 1. After the deadline, in-district rates will increase by $2 per credit hour.

Last month, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman told the Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee that tuition has to be increased for U-M students.

The Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved the establishment of a farmers market to open this summer.

Beginning June 6, the market will be open 2 to 7 p.m. every Thursday, which was decided after feedback from a farmers forum held on March 7.

The market's 40 spaces will be open exclusively to Michigan producers and artisans.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

Township Supervisor Mandy Grewal said the farmers market will help to realize some goals of the township's master plan by promoting local-level agricultural economic activity.

"I think it’s a great idea," said Patricia Scribner, the township treasurer. "I’ve been over to the one in Saline and I always wondered when we would actually have one. This is going to be very exciting for Pittsfield."

The market will have 40 individual 10-by-10-foot spaces that Michigan producers and artisans can rent for the seasonal rate of $50. Most of those spaces will be reserved for food vendors, but eight will be open to vendors of other items.

Grewal said Joan Reed will be helping the township plan the market. Reed has experience with farmers markets, having managed one in Dearborn.

The township is accepting applications for a manager for the market to work 10 to 15 hours per week and would be considered a temporary township employee, earning $18 per hour.

"We would like to square that away in the next couple of weeks," Grewal said.

Grewal said all information about the farmers market, including an application for the manager position, will be available on the township's website by Friday.

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A group of 21 young Republican activists are calling on Republican National Committeeman David Agema to resign in response to an anti-gay post on his Facebook page.

Among those who signed a statement calling for his resignation are Aliceea Rice and Jared Booth of the University of Michigan College Republicans and Alicia Ping, a Republican precinct delegate and Washtenaw County commissioner from Saline.

Dave Agema

"We do not have confidence in Mr. Agema representing the best interests of our fellow Michigan Republicans and as a result ask him to resign from his seat on the Republican National Committee."

Agema has attracted widespread attention since posting an article on Facebook on Wednesday titled "Everyone Should Know These Statistics on Homosexuals."

Purportedly written by "Frank Joseph, M.D.," it contains a number claims about gay promiscuity, molestation and adverse health effects of being homosexual, including a statement that homosexuals account for half the murders in large cities.

"Depending on the city, 39-59% of homosexuals are infected with intestinal parasites like worms, flukes and amoebae, which is common in filthy third world countries," the article also states, going on to claim "part of the homosexual agenda is to get the public to affirm their filthy lifestyle."

Agema, the state representative from Grandville who sponsored legislation supported by Gov. Rick Snyder that led to Michigan's ban on domestic partner benefits for public employees, stood by his controversial social media posting on Thursday, saying he wouldn't resign and he has no regrets.

According to a Detroit News report, Agema said the article he posted didn't necessarily reflect his own views but was still worth sharing on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up two days of oral arguments about the constitutionality of gay marriage.

The anti-gay article that initially caused the controversy was deleted from Agema's Facebook page sometime Wednesday, but among the recent "likes" that still show up on his page is a paper by the Family Research Council on "The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality."

According to a Gongwer News article, when asked about the reliability of the data he posted on his Facebook page, Agema suggested calling the Family Research Council, which he said had similar information on the negative health effects of being gay.

In addition to calls for his resignation by members of his own party, the Libertarian Party of Michigan went on record Thursday calling Agema's actions unacceptable, sickening and reprehensible.

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.

The Ann Arbor Board of Education during a 2012 Committee of the Whole meeting. Wednesday the board passed an affirmation recommitting to what's expected of them as leaders and affirming a shared set of values and principles.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

President Deb Mexicotte brought forward the document, which she described as a set of standards or a code of conduct, in an effort to help the board operate more efficiently. The statement and some changes to current policies were discussed as ways to curtail lengthy board meetings and to help improve respect and cooperation among trustees.

Mexicotte first floated the idea of an affirmation statement by school trustees in January as a possible inexpensive solution for addressing the board's No. 1 goal for the 2012-13 academic year: improved trust and relationship building among trustees. The board had decided in December it would not hire a facilitator to lead the board through professional development or team-building activities due to cost.

The board set its goal of trust and relationship building at its retreat last August. Some trustees felt the tone on the board was not a positive one. Vice President Christine Stead described it as "passive-aggressive," at that time, and said the board was becoming operationally "settled" with its practice of meeting "to the point of exhaustion or beyond exhaustion sometimes."

Wednesday, Mexicotte said the items in the affirmation statement are all things board members may already know and believe they do. However, she described the affirmation as similar to marriage vows when Trustee Andy Thomas asked how the affirmation would be enforced.

Using the example of her own marriage, she said vows are ceremonial and have no legal binding, but when made before friends and family, the vows were an affirmation of how she and her husband expected to treat each other in their relationship and carried significant weight and value.

Deb Mexicotte

Stead said the board should use the affirmation statement in the same way it uses the board policy or the district's strategic plan to guide its work.Taking it out from time to time and referring to it and using it in this manner will make it more real for the board, she said, in response to Trustee Glenn Nelson's concern about the statement being passed by trustees and then "shelved and forgotten about."

Mexicotte said the board has to be willing to enforce it.

"And the enforcement is done through a community standard. It's simply this board deciding we are going to hold ourselves and each other, as peers, to a set of shared values."

Trustee Susan Baskett was skeptical of the document and unsure of its purpose or the good it would do, even after listening to feedback from other board members.

"I don't want to spend much more time talking about it. … I'm not wedded to it one way or another," she said. "But if you all feel good about it, then OK, cool. I'm just not sure what this document is saying."

The statement passed 6-0, with Trustee Simone Lightfoot absent from Wednesday's meeting.

Trustee Irene Patalan said in light of the board recently announcing some budget dialogs and pledging to work together with different parts of the community on the budget, she is more enthusiastic about the affirmation now than she was when it was introduced in January.

"To set a framework and to … say, 'Yes. I will put this as how I live and breathe as a trustee in the Ann Arbor Public Schools,' hopefully this also can (flow) out to the rest of the community as we go through these trying times," she said, talking about how the budget process pits various groups within the district against each other.

"This (affirmation) is specifically about board work, but I actually feel it is a gesture from the people on the Board of Education to set some type of tone and framework as we go through something that is really, really difficult."

Mexicotte said she is grateful for the trustees' support of the document and hopes that, "If nothing else, it won't hurt anything. And maybe it'll even help us a little."

Read the complete affirmation below:

Ann Arbor Board of Education Affirmation of Boardsmanship

As a trustee of the Ann Arbor Board of Education I will do my utmost to represent the district, the community and public education by adhering to the following standards and principles:

• I will represent all school district recipients honestly, equally and equitably, and refuse to surrender my responsibilities to narrow interests or partisan political groups.
• I will avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from my position, and will not use my board membership for personal gain or publicity. I acknowledge that while I am in office I will always be recognized as a board trustee and will remember to represent the board accordingly. I will strive to model the integrity and professional behavior that our community expects.
• I will use district resources only for official district purposes directly associated with my board service or position, or with the support and direction of the Board.
• I will respect the time of my fellow trustees, the community, administration and staff, while working closely with the Superintendent to receive information and resources required to do our work.
• I will apprise my Superintendent, Board President and fellow trustees as to changes to the agenda, additional items for discussion, or any other information that I think would be pertinent to good governance of the district or to a more productive and responsive board meeting.
• I will communicate with my Board peers and administrative staff in any way that promotes and ensures good board practice, adherence to the Open Meetings Act, and the authority of the Superintendent. Should I need to communicate information of any kind to the full board, I will do so through the Superintendent, the Board President or their specific designees, or through individual contact.
• I will recognize that a board member has no legal authority as an individual and that decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a board meeting. My individual authority stems from my representation of the community and my joint managerial role to the Superintendent and district.
• I will take no private action that might compromise the board, administration, staff, students or families and will respect the confidentiality of privileged information.
• I will abide by majority decisions of the board, while retaining the right to seek changes through ethical and constructive means. Using established policy, procedure and advocacy, or working to improve upon them, are the best tools I have to achieve a positive outcome for our students.
• I will encourage and respect the free expression of opinion by my fellow board members and will participate in board discussion in an open, honest and respectful manner, honoring differences of opinion or perspective. I will assume good will from my fellow trustees, even if we strongly disagree about substantive issues.
• I will prepare for, attend, and actively participate in school board meetings.
• I will be sufficiently informed about and prepared to act on the specific issues before the board, and remain reasonably knowledgeable about local, state, national and global education issues.
• I will respectfully listen to those who communicate with the board, seeking to understand their views, while recognizing my responsibility to represent the interests of the entire community.
• I will strive for a positive working relationship with the superintendent, respecting the superintendent’s authority to advise the board, implement board policy, oversee staff and administer the district. I will work through the superintendent when communicating with staff around issues of board concern.
• I will model continuous learning and work to ensure good governance by taking advantage of board member development opportunities, such as those sponsored by the state and national school board associations, and encourage my fellow board members to do the same.
• I will strive to keep my board focused on its shared goals and vision, as articulated in our Strategic Plan, and on the primary work of clarifying the purpose, direction and goals, and monitoring district performance.
• I will always aspire in my speech and actions to achieve the best possible outcomes for our students and to maintain the excellence that the community expects from the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Submitted by Deb Mexicotte with acknowledgement to the Illinois Association of School Boards.

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

As part of it's purchase through bankruptcy of A123 Systems, Chinese auto supplier Wanxiang Group was required to give the company a new name, according to a report from the Detroit Free Press. Wanxiang officials settled on B456 Systems, Inc.

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Ann Arbor’s offices connected to the company were sold to Chicago-based Navitas Systems, who said in February that they plan to double the size of the office from 40 to approximately 80 employees by the end of the year.

• Read the full story from the Detroit Free Press

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

Red Berenson has spent 29 years as Michigan's hockey coach.

AnnArbor.com file photo

The Michigan hockey team’s late nine-game win streak restored some respectability to an otherwise dismal season.

It also may have convinced coach Red Berenson to return for his 30th year on the bench.

Berenson said that if not for Michigan’s late surge, he would have considered retiring after the season.

“If this team wouldn’t have got any better, I would have really thought about not coming back next year, because I don’t want to get in the way of this program doing well,” Berenson said.

After starting the year 4-3-1, Michigan went 4-13-1 from early November until January. Its final record of 18-19-3 marks the team's first season under .500 since 1986-87, Berenson’s third year as head coach.

Berenson signed a three-year contract extension during the last offseason that keeps him under contract through the 2015-16 season. But despite the length of his contract, Berenson said he continues to evaluate his position year-by-year.

“I’ve told Dave Brandon from day one, and I wasn’t excited for making a commitment for those three years plus this year, because I want to do what’s best for the program,” Berenson said.

“I’m not afraid to walk away from a situation, be it really good or really bad, that it’s just not the best thing for the program.”

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.

A subcommittee of the city's citizen-led North Main-Huron River Corridor Vision Task Force came up with this working draft plan for a riverfront park on the MichCon site along the Huron River near the Broadway bridges.

City of Ann Arbor

The four subcommittees of the city's North Main-Huron River Corridor Vision Task Force released draft reports this week following months spent brainstorming ideas for improving the corridor and providing better access to recreational amenities along the river.

One of the four reports is focused on repurposing the former MichCon manufactured gas plant site near the Broadway bridges.

Julie Grand

The drawing shows several amenities, including a new canoe livery and docks, picnic shelter, public boat storage lockers, a boat storage yard, a 100-space parking lot and a canoe van access drive.

Grand said an important piece of the plan is a handicap-accessible walking and biking path that follows the edge of the river on the MichCon site and connects Broadway Park to the Border-to-Border Trail.

The drawing also shows the same asphalt path connecting to a proposed pedestrian bridge that would cross over the river from the MichCon site to Argo Park near Argo Dam, connecting with the Argo Canoe Livery, Argo Cascades and other paths that follow the river around Argo Pond.

DTE Energy, which owns the MichCon property, recently completed an environmental cleanup along the river and has indicated a willingness to set aside a portion of the site for public open space.

The company also has asked interested developers to submit ideas for developing part of the site, so it's possible a mix of uses could share the property — some public, some private.

The task force subcommittee recommends the city's staff maintain close talks with DTE representatives as they review options for development.

"If either short- or long-term solutions are to be pursued, city staff should devise a robust process for public input and engagement," the report states. "Public and private funding should be sought for the construction and maintenance of short- and long-term solutions."

Expanding livery operations

The report notes the Argo Canoe Livery, where the city already rents out kayaks, canoes and tubes for trips down the river, often operates at or above capacity due to its popularity.

Argo Pond as it looked Wednesday evening with the Argo Canoe Livery off in the distance across the river.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Kayaks would continue to be rented from the Argo livery, while those interested in canoeing could begin their trip at the proposed livery on the MichCon site. Grand said that helps deal with the fact that canoes cannot go down the new Argo Cascades, a series of drop pools near Argo Dam.

If planned whitewater amenities next to the MichCon site are approved by the state, Grand said, the second livery would be ideally located for special whitewater classes and rentals. The public boat storage lockers shown in the plans are being requested by residents.

Grand stressed the plans are purely conceptual and any decisions regarding potential recreational amenities on the site would occur following a robust public input process. She said the amenities are shown to scale, but their placement could be modified.

Beyond water-based recreation, the MichCon site has the potential for both formal and informal gatherings, the report states.

"Shelter and pavilion rentals are a popular and increasing significant source of revenue for the parks and recreation department," the report states. "The development of a pavilion, along with adequate open space, would enable a wide range of events."

In order for residents and out-of-town visitors to effectively use the proposed amenities, vehicular access from Broadway Street and a 100-space parking lot is recommended.

"Parking at Argo is already stretched, and parks currently lease private property to help accommodate the need for additional spaces," the report notes.

DTE's plans for the site

DTE Energy set a March 15 deadline for initial submittals from developers interested in the MichCon site. It has asked for creative financing strategies using public and private funding.

According to DTE, the goal in developing the site is to bring about a first-class, mixed-use development capitalizing on the unique features of the riverside property, and incorporating significant green space open to the public.

DTE has expressed interest in a development that could possibly include restaurant, retail, residential, commercial office space and medical office uses.

AnnArbor.com has asked DTE for a summary of the responses it received from developers and its latest thoughts on the future of the site. A spokeswoman said DTE would respond Monday.

Ann Arbor developer Peter Allen confirmed he submitted a response to DTE, but he said he's not ready to talk about it publicly at this point.

According to the subcommittee report, it appears the undeveloped western portion of the site is a strong candidate for expansion of both active and passive recreational activities.

The report contemplates the possibility of public-private partnerships, in conjunction with private development or through civic donations, to fund development and maintenance of the recreational amenities described. There also could be opportunities for grant funding.

The report cautions reconfiguring the site to allow for hundreds of additional vehicles off Broadway Street could prove to be a considerable impediment, and the need for and cost of additional soil remediation to allow active recreation on the site remains unknown.

An annotated map of the MichCon site shows possibilities for a pedestrian tunnel under the railroad tracks. This also includes options for improved stormwater flow from the Depot Street side of the tracks to the river to mitigate flooding in the area.

City of Ann Arbor

Getting beyond the tracks

The task force has looked at options for a tunnel for pedestrians and stormwater to pass underneath the railroad tracks to access the MichCon site from Depot Street and North Main.

The report references the Allen Creek Railroad Berm Feasibility Study, which has identified two potential options for underground crossings near the Fourth and Depot intersection.

The Michigan Department of Transportation has acquired these railroad tracks from Norfolk Southern. There's a concern now that as MDOT moves ahead with track improvements for high-speed rail, MDOT could shut down this at-grade crossing at Lake Shore Drive off North Main on the west side of the river, severing the only legal crossing in the area.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

But in order to apply for federal flood-mitigation grant funding, the benefit of the mitigation needs to exceed the cost, which is not the case based on preliminary analysis, Grand said. So the city doesn't think it would be eligible for FEMA funding, which Grand considers "a serious barrier."

Task force members argue the most significant barriers to creating a pedestrian connection to the MichCon property are costs and the need for cooperation with railroad ownership.

The Michigan Department of Transportation has acquired the tracks from Norfolk Southern. There's a concern now that as MDOT moves ahead with track improvements for high-speed rail, MDOT could shut down the at-grade crossing at Lake Shore Drive off North Main on the west side of the river.

That crossing, located near Bandemer Park, is used by rowers and many others to access the river and the recreational amenities surrounding it, including the Border-to-Border Trail.

Grand said MDOT has taken a position against at-grade crossings such as the one at Lake Shore Drive, which task force members pointed out is the only legal way to cross the tracks there.

If a barrier along the rail line is erected to prohibit pedestrian crossings, the need for an alternate solution greatly increases, and it could cost millions, according to early projections.

It's believed it would be tough to sell the idea of an underground crossing to MDOT, which is concerned about disruptions to rail service and long-term maintenance of crossings.

The task force has identified potential for another crossing that would take pedestrians and cyclists above the railroad from Main Street to the western side of the MichCon site.

Public input sought

The City Council created the citizen-led North Main-Huron River Vision Task Force to develop a vision to enhance pedestrian and bicycle connections from downtown Ann Arbor to Bandemer Park and Huron River Drive, increase public access to the riverside amenities of existing parks along the North Main-Huron River corridor, ease traffic congestion at Main and Depot streets at certain times of day, and recommend use of the MichCon property off Broadway Street.

The task force also has worked on a conceptual plan for the best use of city-owned property at 721 N. Main, which could become a greenway park with new trail connections.

The task force is expected to submit a final report to the City Council by July 31. David Santacroce, chairman of the task force, said there will be chances to provide input at community meetings on May 22 and June 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor Community Center.

"I did the math the other day and we've probably got 500 person hours already into this process, so it's important that people get involved now rather than after the fact," he said.

"This has been a citizens group and a citizens task force, and we've got a lot of people involved," he added. "We're now coming up with a product and we want to get more people involved."

AnnArbor.com will have a report on Sunday on the ideas that came out of the other task force subcommittees, including discussion of potential improvements on North Main.

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.

The joint Ypsilanti-Willow Run Board of Education decided how these two high schools, Ypsilanti on the right and Willow Run on the left, will be used when the consolidated district opens in the fall.

AnnArbor.com file photos

• Related story: Contract for superintendent services between Ypsilanti schools and WISD is approved

The joint Ypsilanti-Willow Run Board of Education voted Thursday on the buildings that secondary students in the new consolidated district would call home.

Students enrolling in grades 5-8 at Ypsilanti Community Schools will attend the current Willow Run High School and Intermediate Learning Center, while students in ninth through 12th grade will attend Ypsilanti High School, the board decided.

The New Tech program at Ardis School, off Ellsworth Road in Ypsilanti, will remain in this location for the 2013-14 academic year. The board approved maintaining New Tech as one of the district's small learning communities at the high school at a board meeting in January.

Ypsilanti Middle School on North Mansfield will be closed for the upcoming school year, but it could reopen in the future, if enrollment numbers or programmatic needs warrant the extra space.

The facility configurations approved Thursday were the recommendations of the High Quality Teachers and Teaching Advisory Group. The new district has established seven advisory committees to help research and create development plans for seven specific design-related aspects of the new district.

The teachers and teaching advisory group analyzed a number of things prior to making its recommendation: survey data from stakeholders about how they envision the small learning communities in the middle and high school, a facilities audit and report conducted for the new district by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, a map of the two districts, enrollment trends, current program configurations and recommendations for athletics.

The educational offerings at the new district are being designed to appeal to a wide range of interests, including project-based learning approaches, an International Baccalaureate middle school academy and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), officials said.

The advisory group's recommendations called for up to four small learning communities in grades 9-12 at Ypsilanti High School and two to four in grades 7-8 at the Willow Run complex.

The themes for these small learning communities have not been selected or announced yet and still are in the community input-gathering stages, said Debra Swanson, one of the facilitators of the teachers and teaching advisory committee who presented Thursday.

"There was a forum Saturday where the community came together and discussed the (small learning communities) … and there is a lot of excitement around that work right now," she said.

The Willow Run complex also will have one small learning community for grades 5-6, as well as a 5-8 International Baccalaureate middle school program that will be housed for the first year at the Washtenaw International High School.

WiHi is a consortium IB program for grades 9-12 coordinated by the WISD, which school districts in the county can elect to be a part of. IB programs cater toward students looking for a "world view" and rigorous curriculum that enhances understanding and appreciation of other nations and cultures, according to the program's website.

Swanson said by co-locating the middle years IB program in WiHi, it will provide both programs some additional support and resources as the programs continue to grow and develop.

WiHi will enroll its third group of ninth-graders this fall, after opening its doors in 2011. Swanson said once the IB high school reaches its maximum number of students, so potentially in 2014-15 when it will have all four grades, the middle years IB program will need to be moved. However, she said this arrangement made sense to the committee in the temporary and immediate future as the middle years program gets off the ground and the community's interest level in it is assessed.

School board trustees had some questions and concerns about the 5-6 small learning community that also would be housed at the Willow Run complex with grades 7-8. Parents of children in grades 5 and 6 still would have the option in enrolling their students in a traditional elementary experience through the neighborhood elementary schools, committee members said.

In January, the board approved keeping both Ypsilanti and Willow Run's existing elementary buildings and programs intact for the 2012-13 academic year.

Based on their current configurations, the elementary buildings that would continue to offer grades 5-6 are: Adams, Erickson and Estabrook.

School board members asked why Ypsilanti High School was chosen for the new district's high-schoolers and why Willow Run High School was chosen for the middle-schoolers. They also asked whether the entire Willow Run High School/Intermediate Learning Center complex would be utilized for the new district's middle school.

Officials said right now, the Willow Run High School/ILC complex is used as two separate entities, but it is all one large building.

"You can go from one part to the other without ever going outside," said Ypsilanti Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Martin, who also serves on the teachers and teaching advisory group.

Martin said because it is one building, it is on one heating and cooling system, making it difficult to shut down one or two wings without expense. She also said using just the ILC side for the combined population of students would be crowded and using just the high school side didn't make sense because the ILC side has a new pool and excellent gym and auditorium facilities.

The committee members spoke about how these two buildings, YHS and the Willow Run complex, were the highest-rated buildings that the new district will own, according to the recent facilities report that was conducted.

But Willow Run ILC also was specifically constructed and configured for small learning communities, so it would best fit the program and design concepts being developed for the new district and allow the most flexibility for future expansion of the middle years' programs, school officials said.

Committee members also said YHS has better-suited athletic facilities for varsity sports. There are no soccer or lacrosse fields at the Willow Run complex and the baseball field is offsite, all of which would require additional transportation costs to bus athletes to other buildings on the YHS side of town anyway for training, officials said.

Also, because one focus of the new district is ensuring every student graduates with college and career credentials, YHS is closer to Washtenaw Community College, with which Ypsilanti Community Schools has established a partnership already.

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

Six children are in the custody of Washtenaw County Child Protective Services after the agency was called to a deteriorating Ypsilanti Township home on 29 occasions throughout the past two years.

The children ranged in age from 4 to 14 years old.

Child welfare investigators also tipped off Ypsilanti Township authorities to the poor condition of the home, which has a multitude of code violations.

Police have been called to the home on 45 occasions since 2011 to investigate reports including family trouble and criminal sexual conduct.

Washtenaw County CPS supervisors declined to comment for this story, and a State of Michigan Department of Human Services representative did not return calls seeking more information about the child welfare investigation.

Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office spokesman Derrick Jackson said he didn't know why it took so long for the children to be removed from the house, adding that it was a decision for CPS. He said 24 of 29 investigations into complaints there were "unfounded."

"I don’t know the full extent of investigations," Jackson said.

Jackson did confirm that a man living in the home at one time had been convicted of criminal sexual conduct for a sexual assault involving a child.

Jackson said no charges have been brought against the mother of the children. She declined to comment when an AnnArbor.com reporter knocked on the door last week.

AnnArbor.com is not publishing the address of the home or the name of the mother to protect the identity of the children.

Conditions at the home came to the attention of township officials on March 12, when CPS, conducting a child welfare investigation, alerted township building officials to the decaying home.

Among other issues at the house are dangerous electrical wiring, animal feces on the floor, a deteriorating floor, trash strewn about the house, a crack through the wall letting in outside light, a collapsing roof on the attached carport, rotting food and more. The entire basement floor is covered in several inches of rubble.

The township condemned the home the following day and filed for an emergency hearing in Washtenaw County Circuit Court seeking a temporary restraining order prohibiting anyone from entering the property.

That restraining order was granted on March 19, and the township will next have a hearing seeking a permanent injunction and an order to bring the home up to code or demolish it.

Officials say they have information that the children's mother continues to occupy the home. Ypsilanti Township Building Director Ron Fulton said the woman's parents own the home, though they haven't seen it in three years.

A trash receptacle filled with debris sat on the home's driveway last week. Fulton said the debris filling the receptacle is from the basement and the rest of the of the house hadn't yet been cleared.

"They have made progress and we are always pleased to see when someone is taking a situation seriously," Fulton said, adding that structural issues would have to be addressed once the house was cleared of trash and debris.

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

"Old Hotel" by Nancy Flanagan

It’s admittedly a peculiar perspective because all but one of Flanagan’s drawings and paintings in this display are isolated cityscape back alleys devoid of people or nature. It’s only when one peers through her insight that her artworks gain their considerable strength.

A native of St. Louis, Flanagan attended The Studio School in New York City. She received her bachelor of fine arts degree from Baltimore’s Maryland Institute College of Art and earned an MFA from Yale University’s School of Art. Among her numerous awards and grants are a Fulbright Fellowship, a Ford Foundation grant, and a Pollack-Krasner Fellowship.

She’s also had a distinguished teaching career at Assumption College (Worcester, Mass.), the Rhode Island School of Design (Providence), Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, NY), Dickinson College (Carlisle, Pa.), and the University of Michigan. She now teaches at Henry Ford Community College, Washtenaw Community College and the CCA.

What makes this display special is Flanagan’s work depicting Washtenaw County parking lots in Chelsea and Ypsilanti. And granted, this might seem like a rather thin subject. But what Flanagan does with her seven pencil drawings and seven oil on canvas paintings in “New Work” is special indeed.

The drawings effectively find her studying the external structure of the world around us. Her pencils have an immediacy, and her attention to detail is akin to seeing the world exposed at its joints.

As one example, 2012’s 20-by-40-inch “Through” illustrates Flanagan’s view of the lines of demarcation that shape the world around us. There’s a complicated interconnected unity to all the elements in this pencil-on-paper parking lot. Every line in “Through” has a specific purpose; just as every object in an urban setting has been crafted by human hands for a specific purpose.

This strategy is also in play in Flanagan’s seven oil on canvas paintings at the CCA. But she reverses her field in these artworks, as her palette masks her keenly realized urban observation.

Flanagan’s color choices in these paintings are subdued — with a decided touch of coolness that makes the composition seem dispassionate. Yet this deliberate cool isn’t an alienation as much as it’s a measured observation.

"Backyard" by Nancy Flanagan

In this painting, Flanagan uses a palette of contrasting hues to separate the buildings and vehicles depicted. Her choice of color and subtly skewed geometric planes gives the painting a verisimilitude that a more straightforward painting would lack, with its subdued solitary appearance.

It’s therefore not accidental that Flanagan largely eschews natural objects in her work. In an interesting way, what would seem the most natural in most contexts would take emphasis away from it is that what she’s creating. For Flanagan’s not only giving us an immediate report of what she observes: She’s allowing us to observe it with her.

“New Work — Nancy Flanagan — Michigan” will continue through April 5 at the Chelsea Center for the Arts, 400 Congdon St., Chelsea. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday; and 1-3 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 734-433-2787.

Personal property belonging to University of Michigan students that was destroyed in Thursday’s flood in the North Quadrangle dormitory won’t be covered by the university’s insurance, according to officials.

University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham said in a Thursday evening email that students’ personal property is usually covered by the students’ insurance policies.

“Typically, it is a student’s homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance that covers personal property,” Cunningham said.

Students who live on the third and fourth floors were mainly affected. North Quad is a newly built building that began housing students at the beginning of the 2010 fall semester.

About 10:40 a.m. Thursday, a coupling on a three-inch water line to the building’s fire suppression system broke in a fourth-floor stairwell. Thousands of gallons of water flooded the building as the water went to lower floors.

Hallways of the building held inches of standing water while the affected stairwell looked more like Niagara Falls than a path to different floors. The flood displaced at least 96 students and the university is working to fulfill their immediate needs.

Water flows down a stairwell at North Quad on Thursday.

Courtesy photo | Heidi Skrzypek

University Housing spokesman Peter Logan said students who were displaced by the flood will be placed in unused dorm rooms on campus or local hotels. Logan told the Michigan Daily on Thursday that the students who lost items in the flood will have to file claims with their parents’ homeowners insurance or independent renter’s insurance to receive compensation.

To this point, the university is working on cleaning up the building, Cunningham said.

“We are in cleanup mode right now and have not fully evaluated the situation,” she said. “The Student Affairs and housing folks are taking care of the students’ immediate needs.”

The cause of the flood is not clear. Construction on North Quad was completed in time for the 2010 fall semester. The three-year project cost the university $175 million.

North Quad houses the U-M School of Information and portions of the university’s College of Literature, Science and Arts.

Manish Parikh, U-M student body president, could not immediately be reached by AnnArbor.com Friday morning for comment on the flood.

Video courtesy of Thomas Jean.

It's Chelsea's turn in the spotlight.

The public-television travel show "Under the Radar Michigan" visits northwest Washtenaw County in an episode that starts airing on Saturday. Each episode of the program, hosted by Tom Daldin, highlights the attractions of two or three locales in the Great Lakes State.

Judging by a promotional video for the episode (below), it looks like some of the stops include the Ugly Dog Distillery, the Common Grill, the Jiffy Mix headquarters and Back to the Roots cafe.

"Under the Radar Michigan" has previously featured Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. It's now in its third season.

Watch a brief promo for the episode:

The "Under the Radar Michigan" episode featuring Chelsea and Harbor Springs is scheduled to be shown on WTVS, channel 56 in Detroit, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 30. Rebroadcasts are scheduled at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2 and 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 3. For more information, see the show's website.

Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.

Charlene Kaye

Kaye acknowledged her sound has changed quite a bit since she moved to New York. While her first album, “Things I Will Need in the Past,” recorded in 2008 when she was still at U-M, was mostly classical-influenced pop, her latest, “Animal Love,” is deliberately edgier.

“The show is pretty rock and roll,” she said. “I’ve always been drawn to that, but I never embraced it ’till I moved to New York. I am approaching it with more fearlessness.

“There was definitely a burgeoning underground and punk scene in Ann Arbor, but New York has so much of every different genre that it became impossible not to try and go to ever single different kind of show that I could,” she added. “I came here and I saw everything, from warehouse shows to singer-songwriter shows to hip-hop shows—my appetite was whetted for a bunch of those styles and it made we want to incorporate all lot of those elements into my own music too.”

Although she was steadily building a fan base before 2009, Kaye said the single “Dress and Tie,” which she recorded with pal / current “Glee” star Darren Criss, another U-M grad, brought her not only wider exposure, it also earned her a measure of legitimacy at home. She also made a splash with her sold-out Team StarKid tours with Criss.

“If it couldn’t be measured by anything it was at least measured by my mom giving me some kudos,” Kaye laughed.

Kaye was born in Hawaii to parents who are Singapore natives, but she spent her teen years in Arizona. Although she took lessons in clarinet, saxophone, classical piano and violin, she majored in English rather than music at U-M.

“I studied English because I thought I was going to be an English teacher. … I had a really inspiring English teacher in high school. I think I’d still really enjoy doing that,” she said.

Delving deeper into the world of electronica, there’s also a second disc of club versions of several tunes from “Animal Love,” remixed by some of Kaye’s New York DJ pals. One of the remixes was done by Ross Federman from the band Tally Hall, who Kaye said is now back in Ann Arbor at the U-M finishing up his education.

Among those tracks is a hip-hop version of “Woman Up” featuring Kalae Nouveau, which has also been made into a video.

“‘Animal Love’ was a bridge from folk to pop, where the bridge from pop to wherever that goes, we’ll see. It was definitely the first flirtation with electronic music with synthesizers with very strange experimental sounds. More, now than ever, I’m inspired by that,” Kaye said. “I guess we’ll see what the next record holds when I start writing it.”

Kaye said her opening act Alexz (“the z is silent”) Johnson is “incredibly talented and has a ridiculous voice that I know more and more people are going start talking about soon.” Johnson, a Canadian by way of New York who has a new EP out called “Skipping Stone,” is supported by Jay Stolar and Misty Boyce.

In a town that brings together disparate souls from all walks of life, there are a million stories waiting to be told. Some of them sad, some of them funny, some of them a result of too much bourbon. But at the The Moth Michigan GrandSLAM Championship IV at The Ark, all of them will be good.

Lon Horwedel | Ann Arbor News file photo

Tickets are only available at www.themoth.org

Monday, April 1, 2013. 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. $16. The Ark is located at 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800.

Previous coverage:

• Superintendent contracts priority of Ypsilanti-Willow Run merger talks
• Ypsilanti's new school district retains 2 superintendents and hires WISD for leadership

Related story: Consolidated school district to house grades 5-8 in Willow Run, high-schoolers in Ypsilanti

Editor's note: Additional information has been added to the story to further explain the compensation aspect of this arrangement.

The joint Ypsilanti-Willow Run Board of Education approved a cooperative agreement Thursday with the Washtenaw Intermediate School District for WISD Superintendent Scott Menzel to serve as the leader of the new consolidated district.

Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel discusses the Ypsilanti-Willow Run consolidation proposal with a local resident at Tower Inn Cafe on election night, Nov. 6, 2012. Menzel will continue to play an integral role in the merger process as the new district's chief superintendent.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file photo

Menzel said the WISD board has not modified his contract yet to reflect what portion of this amount he will receive, but what has been discussed is 20 percent of his base salary, which for the 2012-13 academic year is $156,500. His salary will increase to $160,000 on July 1.

He said the agreement amount was calculated based on a percentage of his time and the total cost of his contract, including what the WISD is required to pay in to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System and for FICA, et cetera.

The contract was passed unanimously at Thursday's school board meeting with little discussion. It will become effective July 1 and expire on June 30, 2015, at which point it is expected Menzel will return to his role at the WISD and there will be a new plan in place for obtaining a superintendent of YCS.

There are clauses in the cooperative agreement for early termination if the arrangement is not working out, said board President David Bates. Other provisions outline how the WISD and YCS will handle conflicts of interest, disputes and shared information and duties.

Menzel's base for carrying out his YCS duties also was addressed in the agreement. He will be required to perform administrative services pertaining to Ypsilanti Community Schools at the district's administrative offices. He also will be required to visit the schools and programs of the new district as he deems appropriate or necessary. Menzel will be permitted to conduct business affecting both the WISD and YCS, such as attending conferences or drafting grant proposals, at either administrative office, the WISD's or YCS's, according to the contract.

Menzel, who could not attend Thursday's meeting, told AnnArbor.com in a phone interview that Washtenaw County is breaking new ground with this agreement. He said because there was not a model out there of how to do this, a great deal of care was taken to structure the arrangement in a way that ensures there are not conflicts of interest.

Menzel said the only real concerns that exist about this arrangement center on time and "how to manage all of the things on my plate."

"But I've been actively involved in a very deep way in the consolidation throughout the past year and working closely with the board to facilitate a great many things already pertaining to the merger, so in a way this is just a continuation of that work and time commitment," he said.

An important next step will be determining how to structure the roles and responsibilities of the new district's central office team, he said, adding he has given much thought to how best to structure the administration and hopes to make that information more public after spring break.

"At the end of the day, it's really about being able to make a difference in the Ypsilanti Community Schools and in the larger community," Menzel said of his new position. "These were two districts that desperately needed to hit the reset button. And (the WISD and I) have committed to do whatever it takes to make that a reality. And that's exciting work to me.

"The WISD has operated in a facilitative role and has been a supportive player since the onset of the merger discussions. This (contracting for superintendent services) is a little different role than we envisioned, but we're willing to do it because we want this to be successful."

The joint Ypsilanti-Willow Run board approved pursuing a contract with the WISD for superintendent services at its Feb. 25 meeting, while retaining current Ypsilanti and Willow Run superintendents Dedrick Martin and Laura Lisiscki, respectively, as associate superintendents under Menzel.

It was a controversial move that angered many in the large crowd of approximately 180 people who attended the meeting that night. After the meeting, Bates explained the board has been impressed with the work that's been completed so far by the team of Lisiscki, Martin and Menzel.

"The board wants to see the progress continue and doesn't want to do anything that might jeopardize that progress in any way. The board decided that was the most important decision … keeping the leadership team intact," he said on Feb. 25.

• Download the cooperative agreement.

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

The championship battle, featuring dragons and Warjacks and more dragons

The Lich Lord Terminus is absorbing the souls of dead followers of the Protectorate of Menoth while the Harbinger of Menoth, tethered to this world by chains and a pair of robed acolytes, skirts the periphery of the battlefield urging her troops into battle. This includes a terrifying war engine called the Vessel of Judgement that stands a few inches tall in real life, resembles an arcane mobile church organ and is pulled by a beefed up gentleman with a flayed back. Apparently, it’s also got the remains of some ancient dead priest inside. Many warriors are lost on the freshly cut plywood battlefield this day, but not a single punch is thrown, not even during lunch at Noodles and Company.

The game is Warmachine/Hordes—a combination of two tabletop fantasy systems set in the same world full of coal-fired steampunk Warjacks armed with maces, axes and cannons, dragons that spew corrosive garbage out of their mouths and the poor little normal people called “units” who soak up the majority of the bullets, blades and purifying holy fire. On this day, five combatants vie for the title of champion in a tournament hosted by Get Your Game On. They don’t all display the best nutritional habits and they might not be natty dressers, but damn can they play them some Warmachine/Hordes.

I am not mocking you, Warriors of Warmachine

Did I mention the scariest church organ on wheels?

Kevin Roach runs Warmachine tournaments like this for Get Your Game On about once a month in a space on the second floor next to the storefront business. It’s an odd setting for mortal combat—a room that would double as a really depressing small office if you had to earn a paycheck there—and the smell of fresh plywood hangs in the air all afternoon (plywood is used as the base of the game board, which is littered with terrain like little hills, forts and brick walls. Most of the plywood is bare and splintery right now, but eventually it will be painted green.) Warmachine tournaments are held all over the area. In fact, a competing tournament draws a number of potential players this Saturday afternoon. Get Your Game On also hosts more casual Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 players on regular Saturdays, though these are two different game entirely. Warmachine is where it’s at. Trust me, Warhammerers. You should switch tonight.

Dragons and evil bad guys vs. religious zealots in Round One

Everyone but Aaron marks their troops’ damage on character cards with dry erase markers and there’s so much smudging and wiping that by the end of the afternoon their fingertips are stained black. Aaron is part of the new wave, marking damage on his iPad like a bawse. For the record, Aaron is my second favorite player. Andrew is my first. Sorry, other guys.

Each game has a built-in scenario, so it’s not just wade into the breach and grind on each other with sharp objects. Scenario one involves strategic flags and control points, which some of the players care about. There are two ways to win—achieve the objective of the scenario or kill the opponent’s Warcaster. A Warcaster is a fancy term for the team’s General, but this character is usually the ultimate badass, like the aforementioned Terminus or Harbinger of Menoth. Some teams are built for achieving strategic victory and aspire to be Lee Harvey Oswalds.

Everyone fears Terminus, but all he wants is a hug. Promise.

A champion is crowned and I go home

I’m not quite sure how or why, but Gabe is crowned the winner and everyone is out of steam after four hours of play so the packing begins. Little painted (and some bare) figures are packed into neatly padded cases, along with dice, tokens, cards and rule books. One of the guys tells me that the outlay just to get started playing the game is about $300, but they all love it.

Unlike other tabletop games, the Warmachine/Hordes universe is ever changing, with back story on characters and factions and developing storylines and that change over time. This creates new versions of well-known characters in the universe, spawns updated rules and allows the game to morph into something new with each iteration. It’s not just a stagnant game that changes only with each battle—it changes month to month and year to year.

I’ll admit wandering down to Get Your Game On and pricing out some of the Warmachine books and miniatures with the fleeting idea of learning how this game ticks, returning in my sweatpants and winning first prize and best dressed. With 12 distinct factions to choose from, most players admit to selecting the clan they think looks the coolest, buying those figures and jumping in with two feet. For my money, I’d go with Skorne because they have these giant elephant looking things with fists and cannons, along with some big toads with scary teeth and a loin cloth. But I keep my money. I pass up the $94.99 armored turtle manned by Praetorians wielding giant spears and walk out of the store empty handed, likely instead to spend that amount on chicken wings within the week.

Growing Hope, an Ypsilanti nonprofit, has launched a $20,000 fundraising campaign to pay for a new raised-bed garden program.

Growing Hope is at 922 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Growing Hope has set an April 22 goal on its Kickstarter campaign to fund the organization's new program, Fueled by Veggies. As of Friday morning, $3,834 has been raised, with 24 days to go in the campaign.

According to the Kickstarter page, the organization has installed 170 above-ground, raised-bed vegetable gardens for low and no-income families. For the first time, Growing Hope wants to offer similar garden installation services for pay to the general public, as well as other services.

"This Kickstarter project will allow us to make a fundamental shift in how we and most nonprofits run, by generating sustainable revenue to help our community grow, without being dependent on sources like grants," Growing Hope wrote.

The nonprofit, led by executive director Amanda Edmonds, is shifting its model, so it can grow and sustain on its own. This would enable it to develop an ongoing revenue model.

"In order to make our business cost-effective and sustainable, we’re going to convert a diesel pickup truck to run on waste vegetable oil, and seek out some local storage and shop space for supplies," the nonprofit wrote.

If the $20,000 goal is met, the funds would be used to support the truck conversion and build out the waste, veggie oil filtering and storage systems. The money would also allow Growing Hope to install veggie gardens for free for 20 low-income families and build 40 more grow light stands and seed starter kits. The seed kits will be "adopted" by 100 households in the Seed Starting Squad, who grow more than 8,000 seedlings for Growing Hope.

The announcement of the new program comes a few weeks after the Ypsilanti City Council voted to legalize gardening on vacant lots. The ordinance revision also legalized raised-bed gardens in front yards.

See the video below created by Growing Hope for its Kickstarter campaign: