THE FACE OF ANN ARBOR VOLUME 4, NUMBER 3

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Organizations talk Ann Arbor sustainability

By Amy Bell
A2 Journal

A number of organizations from Ann Arbor gathered Jan. 12 for the first of four discussions on sustainability. Ann Arbor Talks Sustainability took place at the Ann Arbor District Library downtown branch. About 80 people attended the event, which included

a panel discussion and a question-and-answer period. Ann Arbor has been fortunate, said Matthew Naud, the citys environmental coordinator. Weve done a lot of good planning over the last 10 or 20 years. But, the city now has 26 different plans with 226 goals. We think theres a way to summarize this and pull

this together in some coordinated effort, he said. Officials from a number of organizations took part in the talk, including city officials, the University of Michigan and the Huron River Watershed Council. The 18-month project, sponsored by the Home Depot Foundation, also seeks to create an action plan consisting of goals and ways to measure prog-

ress. The series will cover climate and energy, community, land use and access, and resource management. The discussion was about resource management, which involves the four key goals of clean air and water, viable ecosystems, responsible resource use and local food sufficiency. Dick Norton, chairman

of the urban and regional planning program at the University of Michigan, spoke about sustainability and challenges local governments face. In regard to sustainability, responsible resource use involves the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Recycling is good, reuse is better, reduce is best, he
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On the RAIL

U of M football player in court Feb. 2

By Ben Baird
A2 Journal

Hundreds upset with nancial manager plan

By Krista Gjestland
A2 Journal

Group marches to governors house

Sports
Jibreel Hussein and his Pioneer teammates are coming together, eying district title.

Page 1-C

ON THE WEB

University of Michigan football player Marvin Robinson was scheduled to have a preliminary examination in 14A District Robinson Court Jan. 12, but it was adjourned and rescheduled to Feb. 2. He is accused of going into another students room in the West Quadrangle residence hall and taking an Xbox game system and a video game at about 10 p.m. Sept. 29, according to university police. He was arraigned in November on a charge of second-degree home invasion. The new time of the preliminary exam is 8:30 a.m. Feb. 2. Robinson, 20, is a sophomore at the university and a safety on the football team. He is from Winter Haven, Fla. According to published reports, Robinsons attorney, Gerrow Mason, speaking at a court hearing in November, said his client didnt intend to steal anything. Mason said Robinson has his own Xbox and that the 20-year-old student residing in the dorm room he is accused of entering is an acquaintance of his. Robinson has no criminal record, Mason said. Michigan football coach Brady Hoke, in a statement following Robinsons arraignment in November, said the university will let the legal process run its course and there wont be any further comment until that time. A second-degree home invasion charge has a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison or a fine of $3,000. Staff Writer Ben Baird can be reached at bbaird@heritage.com.

undreds of people joined together in a march to Gov. Rick Snyders Superior Township home, just outside of Ann Arbor, Monday evening to protest Public Act 4, which places emergency nancial managers in struggling cities throughout Michigan. The event, which was held in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., was promoted on Facebook by Occupy for Democracy, and was supported by several other organizations, including other Occupy groups within the state, United Auto Workers, Washtenaw Community Action Team, AFSCME and the NAACP. Zachary Steve, Young Democrats of Michigan president and one of the event organizers, said Public Act 4 takes away the individuals vote and is un-American. We came out here because the emergency manager law gives one individual the power over a city or school district, the ability to cut any contracts, to bust our unions, the ability to remove the elected officials that the people decided on within that city, he said. Steve said the turnout was good, and better than he had expected. I think we had somewhere around 2,000 people here. We definitely made our voice heard, he said. We got the point across that this is un-American in its implementation. Although Steve estimates attendance at 2,000, Michigan State Police officers estimated the group to be between 800 and 1,000. Those in attendance hailed from all over the state. Johnie Douglas came with members of her church, the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, to protest Public Act 4. She said the act takes away the right to vote and is potentially dangerous in the momentum it could gather across the country. The emergency manager takes away the citizens right to vote,

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Protesters hold signs as they wait at Washtenaw Community College before the rally and march on Gov. Rick Snyders House begins. she said. And if they start taking away citizens rights in one place, that movement will escalate and theres no telling just how far down the hill well go from there on. So, its time to stop it now before it gets really going. Muskegeon Heights resident Charles Nash made the trek to Ann Arbor because public schools in his community have been threatened with having an emergency financial manager come in. It (Public Act 4) has hit Muskegeon Heights where we come from, he said. Muskegeon Heights has a long tradition of public school in jeopardy right now with this law. Were trying to get some to listening ears so that we can give them some solutions to try to help save the schools instead of a complete takeover. Doug Smith, a retired University of Michigan professor, came to the protest because he is concerned about how much of Michigans jobs and technology is being sent to China. Rick Snyder has a lot of his wealth invested in China, he said. When he goes to China, is he representing us or is he representing the Chinese? Not everyone who attended the event was protesting, however. Stacy Swimp, president of the Frederick Douglass Foundation in Lansing, said passing the blame onto Snyder doesnt fix any problems. He believes people need to start taking personal responsibility for their lives. At the end of the day, when Al Sharpton and others come in to our state trying to blame the Republican Party and our governor of racism when were trying to fix the mess that irresponsible leaders in the urban cities create, were here to tell you youre lying, he said. You need to stop passing the buck. Be personally responsible. Thats Dr. Kings message.
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INDEX
Second Front Editorial Obituaries Classified Sports Page 4-A Page 6-A Page 7-A Page 2-B Page 1-C

Skyline high offering open enrollment

By James David Dickson
A2 Journal

Skyline High School, the newest building in Ann Arbor Public Schools, is offering open enrollment to 100 rising freshmen who live within district borders. Enrollment forms must be submitted by Feb. 10, and were first made available on Jan. 9. The Skyline High School Enrollment Form is avail-

able online. Hard copies can be found at all six district middle schools. Why is Skyline offering open enrollment? Since opening in fall 2008, it always has, explained Liz Margolis, the districts director of communications. Tanishia Peterson, assistant to Skyline Principal Sulara Jackson, said Skyline gets enough stu-

dents through the usual, geographic means (students from the Forsythe and Clague middle schools feed into Skyline), but because of unique, magnet programs that Skyline offers, it makes seats available to students who would otherwise enroll at Huron or Pioneer. Skyline has magnet programs in health and medicine, design technology and environmental

planning, communication media and public policy, and business marketing and information technology. Peterson said that until Huron and Pioneer offer similar programs, Skyline will continue offering open enrollment. Roughly 100 seats are available. Since Skyline is a public school, the seats are available on a first-come, first-

served basis. If there are more than 100 applicants, the seats will be filled using a lottery. Students offered admission to Skyline will need to confirm that theyll be attending by March 2 and will need to attend one of two orientation sessions at the end of the month. Staff Writer James David Dickson can be reached at JDickson@Heritage.com.

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