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1170 S. MAINSTREET • CHELSEA
(734) 433-9900
Minutes from Ann Arbor
I-94 Exit 159
VOL. 141, NO. 9
Village considers
regional opinion
on dispensaries
By Sean Dalton
Heritage Media
Dexter village will reach out
to Scio, Webster, Dexter and
Lima townships after a vote on
proposed medical marijuana
regulation in the village’s code
of ordinances Monday, Feb. 28.
The ordinances, which were
crafted by the village planning
commission and Community
Development Director Allison
Bishop, were set aside in favor
of the regional approach
proposed by Village Council
Trustee Jim Smith.
Smith explained that he
wanted the village to model
its efforts after Holland and
Zeeland Township, which col-
laborated on their ordinances
regulating marijuana dispen-
saries.
He read aloud a letter from
the Ottawa County Substance
Abuse Prevention Coalition,
which praised the “regional”
cooperation between municipal
governments “to create a stan-
dard policy for the area” so as to
avoid confusion or conflict.
“The message is finding out
what our townships feel that
surround us ... maybe it’s time
that we consider bringing a
coalition together from the
townships, the village and the
sheriff ’s department,” Smith
said.
He called for a “common ordi-
nance” for the region. Other
council discussion touched on
one of the more talked about
areas of the ordinance: the dis-
tance limitations, which as set
out in the ordinance as drafted
would prohibit dispensaries
within 500 feet of school prop-
erty.
Dispensaries would also be
restricted to one location every
500 feet within village limits,
making three areas suitable for
a dispensary: near the railroad
tracks and Central Street, along
Baker Road near Hudson Street
and at the Dexter Crossing
Shopping Center at the corner
of Ann Arbor and Dan Hoey
roads.
Smith called for the school
property distance restriction
Business owners share
common English ground
By Sean Dalton
Heritage Media
Dexter residents Rachel
Shelley and Carol Kelly are liv-
ing proof that the world of the
21st century is indeed a very
small place.
Shelley, who reopened the
former Corner Cup Café (which
some still refer to as “the
Bear Claw”) as Joe and Rosie
Coffee and Tea last month,
and Kelly, who very recently
launched the home-based busi-
ness Scrumptious Cupcakes,
were virtually neighbors when
they lived “across the pond” in
bonny old England.
“We only lived 10 miles away
from each other back home,”
Kelly explained with a slight
THE
DEXTER LEADER
to be increased to 750 feet, so
a major school walk zone on
Baker would be taken off of the
table for dispensary locations.
Joe Semifero questioned what
areas would not be eliminated
if the village stretched distance
limitations any further, given
the already small footprint of
the village’s borders.
Bishop replied that only
areas along Central and Second
streets would remain under
those circumstances.
Semifero questioned whether
the limit was “arbitrary” given
the 1000 feet federal Drug Free
School Zone enforcement guide-
line, which stipulates doubled
fines and penalties for offenders
charged with a drug offense
within that distance from a
school zone.
Bishop pointed out that Drug
Free School Zone enforcement
only applies to illegal drug
use, which isn’t necessarily an
issue for folks who follow the
letter of the Michigan Medical
Marijuana Act: “It just means
that if you get caught with
drugs that are illegal (for you
to possess) you get double the
fines.”
Village Trustee Jim Carson,
who is also the council’s liaison
to the planning commission,
explained that the 500-foot
restriction is “conservative”
based on the advice of the
village’s legal counsel, which
has been guiding the village in
crafting the regulation since vil-
lage officials decided to take the
enforcement route.
“Our attorney told us to make
it as conservative as possible
(while still) allowing enough
control to manage it,” Carson
said. “Looking at all scenarios
we felt that 500 feet allowed us
to do that. It’s that simple.”
Carson added that the 500-
foot limitation is not based on
case studies of what any other
municipality is doing.
“This is based on (whether)
we (can) do this to make it fit
within the C-1 District ... this is
the only thing that would allow
it to work in C-1,” he explained.
PLEASE SEE DISPENSARY/3-A
laugh.
Little did Kelly know she
would stroll into Joe and Rosie
one day for some Rosie (British
slang for tea) and finally meet
her neighbor from Tonbridge
way.
“(Kelly) was like, ‘Oh my
goodness, you must be an
English person because (of the
name Joe and Rosie) … it was
very bizarre at first,’” recalls
Shelley, but the two hit it off
and were impressed enough
with each other’s work to min-
gle their imported talents for
English tea and snacks.
Having both decided to lay
roots down in the Dexter com-
munity after their husbands’
careers took both families from
England to Michigan – thanks
SPORTS
Orville makes his
rounds for Relay
Page 5-A
75¢
Photo courtesy of Anne Kornow
Customers peruse a variety of artwork for sale during the gallery’s third anniversary celebration
on Friday, Feb. 25.
Viva Artistica!
By Crystal Hayduk
Special Writer
Dexter’s Artistica Gallery,
what one customer fondly calls
the “cutest little indoor art
fair around,” celebrated its
third year in business with an
anniversary party last Friday
evening.
The anniversary event was a
special evening for Artistica’s
owners and customers alike,
with sweet and savory hors
d’oeuvres were served, and folk
music was provided by guitarist
David Menefee.
Pam O’Hara, who specializes
in pottery, said that the idea for
Artistica came several years
ago when she and mosaic artist
Lisa Wandres talked about the
need for a local venue for artists
to display and sell their work.
O’Hara and Wandres soon went
into business with photogra-
pher Jill Love and basket weav-
in part to the strong reputation
of Dexter Community Schools
– Shelley and Kelly indepen-
dently decided on their respec-
tive career paths.
Joe and Rosie offers not just
tea and coffee, but also sand-
wiches, scones, pastries, soups
and exclusive Scrumptious
Cupcakes that are only avail-
able for retail purchase in
Shelley’s corner shop.
Shelley’s husband trans-
planted his family to the area
for an auto industry job more
than a decade ago, leaving her
in charge of the homestead, but
now that her children are older
she’s ready to invest herself
into realizing the dream of a
successful Joe & Rosie’s.
“I’ve lived here for eight years
er Cherilyn Fontana, at a time
most entrepreneurs would have
judged it as one of the riskiest
economies to open a new store.
Although Love and Fontana
moved on to singular ventures,
the gallery is doing well under
its current ownership, which
includes O’Hara and Wandres,
along with the two newest part-
ners, photographer and painter
Jamie Valen and jeweler Anne
Kornow.
Kornow said that the store
sells art and fine gifts, all hand-
crafted by artists in southeast
Michigan. She credit’s the
gallery’s success to the combi-
nation of beautiful items and
reasonable prices. With a price
range of only a few dollars for
specialty soaps and handmade
cards to $600 for an original
painting, there is something to
fit any budget.
“We have many very beauti-
ful things in the $25- to $50-price
Photo by Sean Dalton
Rachel Shelley, owner of Joe and Rosie Coffee and Tea, stands
in front of the coffeehouse with Carol Kelly, who recently started
her own homebased business making cupcakes.
now … it was time to do this,”
Shelley said.
She has worked in the restau-
rant industry in various capaci-
ties and worked at a coffeehouse
in Ann Arbor for a time before
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011
range that would make wonder-
ful one-of-a-kind gifts,” Kornow
said.
The gallery hosts approxi-
mately 25 guest artists, who
ply their trade in a variety of
genres.
Whether it’s functional art,
such as soaps and candles,
wearable or for display, chances
are Artistica Gallery has it.
The gallery highlights the
work of one artist on the fourth
Friday of each month. The spe-
cial monthly events include a
wine and cheese party (nonalco-
holic beverages also available)
and run from 5 to 8 p.m.
Artistica Gallery is located
at 3203 Broad St. in Dexter with
free parking nearby. It is open
Tuesday through Friday from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; with
extended hours during the holi-
day season and special summer
events.
deciding to get her own thing
going in Dexter after learning
that the Horvath family was
selling Corner Cup Café after
PLEASE SEE BUSINESS/3-A
Poe to grace
Encore’s stage
Page 4-D
Weave the Web:
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for the most in-depth coverage
of Washtenaw County. Our
“Most Viewed” story this week
is “2 downtown restaurants to
close their doors.”
Check out our video:
■ 2 for U
■ The Jeremy Kittel Band
performs at the Ark
■ AutoRama 2011
■ Levin on unrest in the
Middle East
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Editorial
INDEX
Page 6-A
Calendar Page 3-D
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Sports Page 1-B
Community Page 1-D
Moving Forward Page 1-C
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