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Cooper Rush be ‘the guy’? » Page 2
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
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PHOTO FINISH
No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick signs five-year, $22.2-million deal with Chiefs » PAGE 3
Husband and wife photography team retiring after more than 30 years » PAGE 3
Global Campus signs lease for office in Detroit, to open this winter By John Irwin editor-in-Chief
Victoria zegler /photo editor Remus resident Karen Stevens, left, uses a hunting knife to cut gladiolus while Remus residemt Arnold Stout, right, collects them in a plastic bucket to place in his garage for customers Monday evening outside of his home in Remus. “As fast as we can pick ‘em, we get ‘em in here,” Stout said.
Stout heart, green thumb Arnold Stout, 94, successful as lifelong farmer despite physical impairment
Detroit filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, but that isn’t changing Central Michigan University’s plans to construct a downtown Global Campus location. “The bankruptcy has not had an affect on our plans at all,” Ray Christie, interim vice president of Global Campus, said. The university signed a lease last week for a 4,000-square foot space in downtown Detroit, located on the first floor of the One Kennedy Square skyscraper on Woodward and Michigan avenues across the street from Campus Martius Park. Christie said CMU sees an opportunity to attract young downtown workers, many of whom work nearby for companies such as General Motors, Quicken Loans and Compuware, to its Global Campus as more businesses move downtown. “Our research shows that Detroit is bouncing back, and it is bouncing back very impressively,” Christie said. “We want to be a part of that.”
Plans for the space, prominently located at street level inside the 10-story, translucent glass building, are in the early stages, but it will include spaces for numerous university offices in addition to the Global Campus, including Enrollment Management and Student Services, the president’s office and the academic colleges. “The idea behind the space is to create a space that can be functional for anyone down there,” Dan Eichinger, associate director for leasing and regulatory services, said. The space will include a classroom and places for campus leaders and students to meet when in Detroit. “Most of that square footage is a large, flexible space for multiple purposes,” Eichinger said. “We’ve used centers for many years as a place to provide information about the university, both on campus and online,” Christie said. “Detroit will be no different.” A GLOBAL CAMPUS | 2
FOOTBALL
By Justin Hicks Staff reporter
A
rnold Stout rises before the sun and gets a jump-start on the day, preparing a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers for sale. Just weeks away from his 95th birthday, his age isn’t the only thing that separates him from other local farmers. He has been without his right hand and entire left arm for 55 years. In their place are two prosthetic hook devices, which he can use for simple tasks and tending to his crops. “I still shake hands with everyone,” Stout said, pausing in search of a complaint regarding his misfortune. “Being handicapped doesn’t bother me much. I think the worst thing is when people pull up and load up their cars out front without paying. They’ll load up their car and zippity-good, they’re gone!” Stout receives assistance getting dressed, brushing his teeth, bathing, cooking and other household chores from his caregiver of almost 10 years, Remus resident Kathy Leiter, 67. With the ability to grasp silverware or a glass in his right hook, he can feed himself if a dish is prepared for him. Without Kathy’s cooking, the sweet-toothed man will settle for an oatmeal creme pie for dinner. In addition to household assistance, Stout also receives help from a local school bus driver, Karen Stevens, potting and planting his array of crops growing on his front lawn. A homemade “Flowers For Sale” sign sits on Stout’s front lawn, flagging down potential customers driving down 9 Mile Road on the outskirts of Remus. The driveway up to his two-car garage separates the potted flowers from his premature fruits, vegetables and flowers. Stout’s best-seller, the gladioli, sit in individual milk cartons along a table in his garage, overflowing with color. He also grows dahlias, iris and daisies, in addition to his squash, sweet corn, mushmelon and watermelon.
File PHoto BY JeFF SMitH
On April 14, 2012, freshman quarterback Alex Niznak throws a pass during the spring football at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
QB job ‘wide open’ heading into preseason camp, coach Enos says By Aaron McMann Staff reporter
Victoria zegler /photo editor TOP: Remus resident Arnold Stout, 94, waters plants in one of his two gardens on July 2 outside of his home on 9 Mile Road. BOTTOM: Stout carries a plastic bucket full of gladiolus into his garage to sell Monday afternoon at his home in Remus.
Check out more photos on page 4 Stout’s daughter, Hesperia resident Diane Herin, visits weekly to help pay bills, to take him grocery shopping and to drive him to his nearly regular chiropractor appointments and occasional medical appointments. One of Stout’s four children, Herin said her father isn’t much different from your average 90-year-old. “My father-in-law is 93,” she said. “They both have trouble getting out of a chair, both get around pretty well and both of their minds are pretty good, most of the time.”
lOsing His HanDs
Stout lost his right hand in the fall of 1952 in a corn picker. Six years later, while using his new Allis Chalmers chopper and blower to fill a friend’s silo, the machine jammed. “I shut the machine off, pulled the corn stalks out and started it back up,” Stout said. “But when I threw the armful of stalks in, just like that, I was in the machine.” Stout was lucky enough to catch his foot on the tractor’s wheel to stop himself from being pulled completely into the
machine. He was trapped for what he said felt like an hour until his hired help showed up. Looking up to the sky, Stout said he prayed for help. “I said, ‘Lord, I need your help,’ and the pain stopped. That is a fact,” Stout said. “When (the hired help) got there, the machine was still running, and he turned it off. My arm was gone, my jacket was in the pickup and the silo was filling. I backed out and said, ‘I guess you need to take me to Lakeview (Hospital).” A STOUT| 2
Preseason camp kicks off on Monday and, for the first time in recent memory, Central Michigan football is without a clear-cut leader at quarterback. And it might be that way for a while. Last week, during MidAmerican Conference media day in Detroit, CMU coach Dan Enos called the quarterback spot “wide open,” with junior Cody Kater, sophomore Alex Niznak and redshirt freshman Cooper Rush all vying for the job. “All three of them will be given equal opportunity once we start camp,” Enos said.
Cody Kater
Alex Niznak
“From what our strength and conditioning coach (Rick Perry) tells us, they’ve all had a great summer. … They all have tremendous worth ethic, so it’s going to be exciting.” Since the team’s April 13 spring game, coaches have had limited contact with players and are not allowed to hold official practices. That, however, changes on Monday when players report for two-a-day practices — beginning the march to CMU’s Aug. 31 season opener at Michigan. Who will take the first snap under center at The Big House, however, remains up in the air. A QB BATTLE| 2
Cooper Rush