SPORTS

Athletes tested during spring football See Page 1-C

INSIDE

INSIDE

Detroit Zoo debuts three new grizzly cubs See Page 6-B

The
VOL. 28, NO. 13

Community media lab to open April 2 See Page 3-A

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THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 Weave the Web:
Make sure to click on www.heritage.com around the clock for the most in-depth coverage. See most popular stories....Movie review: 21 Jump Street offers good fun.

Board aims to improve student math skills

Van Tassel. Our teachers are charged to present lessons At its March 12 regurich with contextual conlar meeting, the Van tent that motivate students Buren Public to become involved Schools Board of VAN BUREN in the learning to Education unaniprocess, not just SCHOOLS memorize facts and mously approved hiring Carnegie algorithms. Learning, Inc. to improve In researching available algebra and geometry skills mathematics resources among its seventh and to meet this challenge, eight grade students. we have found that the Were at the point Carnegie Learning now where we have to do Curriculum is best aligned something like this, Board with this approach to teachPresident Martha Toth ing and learning, Van said. Tassel said. The three-year contract, Training for middle which will cost the district school teachers will begin $445,000, was strongly supthis school year and will ported by School District feature more teacher trainSuperintendent Michael ing opportunities this sumSpecial Writer

By Jerry LaVaute

mer. Carnegie consultant Nicole Crockett said that the training will result in four nationally-certified training specialists among the districts teaching staff, who will teach other Van Buren teachers the Carnegie method. The goal is to eventually expand the Carnegie program down to the sixth-grade students and up through high school students. Crockett is currently a math consultant at Belleville High School.
PLEASE SEE MATH/5-A

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Bullies beware Operation Nice

Carnegie math consultant Nicole Crockett, at left, speaks with the school board recently. Her colleague, Abdul Madyue, is at right.

Click on the jobs tab on the home page of our h e i t go . c o m websiteror a g edirectly to http://jobs.heritage.com.

Saving animals hits close to home

By Joe Gray
Heritage Media

Editors note: This is the third part in a three-part series about the Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue in Belleville. The third part focuses on the groups founders. arcia LaFramboise admits she is not a big animal lover, and she can be wary of dogs at times. That may seem a little odd because she has spent the past nine years running an animal rescue with her husband, Pete. How did the couple come to found Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue in Belleville? The answer: An eyeopening experience while working at an Ann Arbor animal shelter in 2002 when Pete retired and needed something to keep himself busy. I had to find him something to do, Marcia said. Pete would have been

happy to lie around watching TV and snacking, but his wife would not hear of it. While volunteering at the shelter, the LaFramboises were shocked to see how many dogs and cats were destroyed. It opened our eyes to open our own facility, Marcia said. The shelter had to make room for new animals; they had to euthanize other animals. We figured if we wanted to make a difference wed have to open our own shelter. The couple began FMAR - a nonprofit, nokill rescue - in 2003 out of their home. It wasnt long before they needed more room and moved onto a six-and-a-half-acre plot where now stand two Photo by Carrie Kennedy barns - one for cats and Marcia LaFramboise and her husband, Pete, rst started Friends of Michigan one for dogs. Animal Rescue in 2003. At any given time, FMAR could be hosting any of the animals. They approaching $200,000. always right and the ani20 or more dogs and 80 or have adopted out more The job can be bittermal is returned. However, more cats, depending on sweet. Its a wonderful FMAR has a return rate of how many kittens and pup- than 120 dogs and about 200 cats per year. feeling when a dog or cat is less than 10 percent. pies are around. The group has 80 volunadopted into a nice family, They do not euthanize teers and an annual budget but sometimes the fit is not PLEASE SEE FMAR/10-A

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INDEX
Editorial Calendar Sports Page 6-A Page 4-B Page 1-C

Township approves new lawn care contracts

township buildings to parks to baseball fields to cemeteries to sewer pump According to Van Buren stations. Township Public The lawn mowWorks Director Tom VAN BUREN ing contract for MacDonald, there the 2011 mowing TWP. are 39 different propseason was $54,090 erties owned by the with Michigan township whose lawns need Lawn Management, a comto be maintained each seapany located in the townson. The properties range ship. The contract could from the large to the small, have been extended this from lawns surrounding year for the same price, but
Special Writer

Death Notices Page 14-A

By Jerry LaVaute

MacDonald was not satisfied with the service last year. Township Supervisor Paul White echoed MacDonalds sentiments, saying that he had fielded several complaints last year about the townships lawn maintenance. Randy Brown, the owner of Michigan Lawn Management, was contacted by phone to comment on the matter.

Brown said MacDonald had said to him the township wanted to make a change. He added that MacDonald mentioned complaints about service during the mowing season in 2011, but never wrote them down so Brown could address them. Brown did say MacDonald was surprised that Brown didnt have his crews out working on Memorial Day. Brown

said that it was a holiday his workers were given the day off. Brown said Gonczy was dismissed as the township lawn mowing contractor after the 2009 mowing season, when Abraham Landscaping was hired as a new contractor in 2010. By June, it became apparent that Abraham was not getPLEASE SEE LAWN/7-A

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