VOLUME 5, NUMBER 18

75

New Community Television Network show, Happy Tails, features adoptable animals, 4-A Inside
The Mountaintop explores MLKs last night
Subscribe by calling 877-837-1118 Page 1-C

2-C

CALENDAR

Inside: Studies show healthy

Pair of U-M profs awarded benefits of cherries, grapes Page 8-C Guggenheim Fellowship
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Page 10-A

Inside

Irwin aims to decriminalize marijuana

Local lawmaker says plan would free resources for communities
State Rep. Jeff Irwin, an Ann Arbor Democrat, last week called for action on a bill that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. House Bill 4623 would make possession of one ounce or less a civil infraction and would create a stepped fine based on whether the violation is a first, second or third offense. Under current law possession is classified as a misdemeanor with heavy fines and jail time. Michigan spends an estimated $326 million a year on arresting, trying, and imprisoning people for marijuana offenses, Irwin said, yet such policies have proven remarkably ineffective in achieving their purpose of preventing marijuana use. According to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of Americans believe enforcing current marijuana laws costs more than its worth. Using police, courts, and corrections officials to prosecute marijuana crimes while murders, rapes and burglaries go unsolved is a tremendous waste of resources in a state that cant afford to misprioritize its assets right now, said Neill Franklin, a retired state police major and executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. This bill is a sensible first step toward a more humane and just criminal justice system in Michigan. Added Irwin: Communities across the state are recognizing this and have passed local ordinances decriminalizing marijuana or have voted to treat marijuana possession as the lowest priority for local law enforcement. Its time for the state to recognize what local communities and citizens already have. HB 4623 would help remedy this widely recognized problem, freeing up limited state and local

RECOMMUNITY ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2012

WITH YOUR HELP

N S? TS IT ON WHA 8 6 2 12,

ANN ARBOR
WE W ER RECYCLED ECYCLED
TONS
1

On the RAIL

JOBS
aluminum plastics

12268
,
25 DIRECT JOBS CREATED
or 1,426,950 aluminum cans2

22

tons tons tons

saved enough energy to power a 60 watt cfl bulb 3,258 years!3 enough to save 640,192 gallons of oil4

PAPER
Jeff Irwin

or 1,665,218,297 sheets of paper5

935 8,260

OIL

equivalent of saving 140,423 trees6

Sports
Skyline lacrosse team crushes Ypsilanti, 20-1

CARDBOARD

GLASS

or 6,459,361 glass bottles8

2,916 1,424

environmental

impact report

Neill Franklin resources for more critical priorities like public safety or education. State Rep. Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) was a co-sponsor to the bill, who said he signed on because he wanted to show that there was bipartisan support for having the debate. Much as we did with the failed prohibition of alcohol, I feel we have reached a crossroads where we need to readdress how the state will enforce some aspects of marijuana law, especially for adult use, said Shirkey . I would need to see some of the language in this bill changed before I could vote for it, especially in regards to minors. But it is abundantly clear that the status quo regarding our laws and recreational adult use needs to be robustly analyzed, debated, and changed where prudent.

Recycling making an impact in Ann Arbor

get more informative and educational material at: ReCommunity.com/education
1 More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S. - 2011, 2 Based on 14 grams per 12oz can average, 3 http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=recycling_facts_and_stats, 4 http://bgm.stanford. edu/pssi_faq_benefits 5 Based on 4.5 grams per 8.5x11 paper, 6 http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/quest/pdfs/sections/u2_chap2.pdf, 7 Based on average swimming pool size of 30x15x6 = 2700 cubic feet (1 cubic feet = 7.481 gallons), 8 Based on 200 grams per 12oz bottle average, 9 http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/iwarm/

HB 4623 would make possession of one ounce or less a civil infraction.

Its not trash talking to say Ann Arbor is doing some serious recycling. ReCommunity, the citys recycling partner, last week released figures showing Ann Arbor residents helped produce 12,268 tons of recyclable materials in 2012. The Ann Arbor Sustainability Report, unveiled on Earth Day, marks a perfect opportunity for us to showcase our commitment to forward-thinking communities like Ann Arbor, said James Devlin, ReCommunity CEO, and to celebrate the communitys recycling efforts which helped create more jobs and a better future. So whats contained in 12,268 tons of recyclable material in Ann Arbor? 1,426,950 aluminum cans or enough energy to power a CFL light bulb 3,258 hours. 22,035,077 plastic bottles or the equivalent of saving 640,192 gallons of oil. 1,665,218,297 sheets of paper or the equivalent of 140,423 trees. 6,459,361 glass bottles or enough energy to power 1,548 computers for a week. The report also notes the conomic and environmental impact of recovering 12,268 tons of recyclable materials, including: 25 jobs created. 35,602 metric tons of CO2-equiva-

U-M grad, Glee star returning for free concert

Heres something that will make fans of the television show Glee, well, glad. Darren Criss, who plays Blaine Anderson on the popular FOX TV series, is coming to Ann Arbor next month for a free concert. Criss, a University of Michigan graduate, will be at the Michigan Theater on June 13. The show, set for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is part of the Bank of Ann Arbors Sonic Lunch free summer concert series. Local favorite Theo Katzman will open the show. Prior to his television Actor and musician Darren Criss returns to Ann Arbor career, Criss garnered wide June 13 for a free concert. attention when he and his U-M friends created A Very Potter Musical, which became a viral phenomenon on the Internet. They later started StarKid Productions, writing and producing subsequent online hits like Starship and A Very Potter Sequel, with Criss providing the music and lyrics for the latter. In 2009, he dropped his self-released album Human, which landed on Billboards Heatseekers chart. He makes his film debut this summer in Girl Most Likely, opposite Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening and Matt Dillon. Ann Arbor is one of 16 cities Criss is visiting between the end of May and the end of June. I couldnt think of a better way to spend the summer than being on the road and doing live shows, Criss said in a prepared statement. I wanted to do something bigger than what Ive done before more cities and new music. Its a real opportunity for me to connect with all the people whove supported me through the years, as well as a chance to get new folks excited. Its gonna be a party for everyone. Criss band is described as having an all-star cast of University of Michigan musicians, including Tyler Duncan and Joe Dart from Ella Riot, Jack Stratton and Katzman. We are super thrilled to bring Darren Criss back to Ann Arbor for this very special Bank of Ann Arbor Sonic Lunch performance, said Tim Marshall, president and CEO. Sonic Lunch, in its sixth season, helps make Liberty Plaza in downtown Ann Arbor the coolest place to be for lunch on Thursday afternoons. Our support of the arts and culture in the greater Ann Arbor region has always been an important part of the fabric of our bank and Sonic Lunch is a really fun event to present annually to our community.

tons

that fills 1,011 swimming pools7

Page 1-B

tons

saved enough energy to power a laptop for 1,548 years9

ON THE WEB

Sustainability is all-encompassing, including environmental, economic and social benefits to Ann Arbor.
Tom McMurtrie, Ann Arbor solid waste coordinator

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Weave the Web:

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lent greenhouse gases prevented, which equates to removing 6,521 cars from the road annually. 15,773 cubic yards of landfill space saved, which equates to 1,011 Olympicsized swimming pools filled with garbage. By definition, sustainability is allencompassing, including environmental, economic and social benefits to Ann Arbor, says Tom McMurtrie, solid waste coordinator for Ann Arbors recycling program. Our recycling efforts have enabled us to generate additional revenue, create new jobs and reduce our carbon footprint.
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INDEX
Death notices Page 14-A Editorial Calendar A2Live Classified Page 6-A Page 2-C Page 1-C Page 5-C

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