07192015 section a and b by dfavorite

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015

$2.00 / POWER ING MLI VE .COM

TIGERS START SECOND HALF ON RIGHT FOOT PORTAGE

Music, food, fun make Taste a success

As dozens of families trickled Saturday into Portage’s Don Overlander Band Shell, Noel Corwin stood sampling a dish of blueberry cobbler. Hundreds gathered Saturday to sample local food and enjoy live music at the Taste of Portage. Al’s Basement Band and the Spazmatics hit the stage while 13 food vendors doled out helpings of local cuisine. Details, A5

Benjamin David Hutchison, left, and Monty Hutchinson have a quiet moment on their wedding day. (Crystal Vander Weit/MLive.com) CASSOPOLIS

Gay minister celebrates own marriage

Days after being forced to resign as pastor of Cassopolis United Methodist Church, the Rev. Benjamin Hutchison married his partner, Monty Hutchison, in front of the Cass County Courthouse. More than 100 guests and 30 clergy members from across the region were in attendance. Details, A9

*See dealer for details.

5 years after oil spill, Kalamazoo River is healthy again

‘I thought the river was ruined’

t’s the stench Doug Rocho remembers most about the massive oil spill in the Kalamazoo River five years ago.

“I could actually smell it from a distance away, but I wasn’t sure what it was at that point,” the Marshall resident recalled last week, standing along the river’s banks in Battle Creek’s Historic Bridge Park. Nothing could have prepared the 63-year-old Rocho, who was raised on the Kalamazoo River, for what he saw from his childhood home as he got his first look at the black oil that inundated its waters and stained its banks. The rupture of an Enbridge Energy pipeline the evening of July 25, 2010, gushed hundreds of thousands of gallons of heavy crude oil into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River before it was discovered and shut down. “I thought the river was ruined,” said Rocho, who grew up in the Calhoun County community of Ceresco. “I thought, ‘That’s it, it will never make it.’”

A Canada goose attempts to ﬂy out of the Kalamazoo River but fails after being completely covered in oil. More than 800,000 gallons of oil were released into the river in Marshall in 2010. (MLive.com ﬁles)

On July 26, 2010, the putrid stench was so strong and the spill so extensive officials urged residents near the river to abandon their homes due to the oil and presence in the air of benzene, which, among other health effects, can cause leukemia and anemia. Benzene was used to dillute heavy crude oil from the tar sands region of Canada into

the diluted bitumen pumped through Enbridge’s Line 6B. A 6-foot break in the pipeline, which runs from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario, had dumped 843,000 gallons into the creek and the river. SEE SPILL, A6

Aerial view of two excavators digging into Morrow Lake for submerged oil as three boats with absorbent booms follow to collect the oil. (MLive.com ﬁles)

Obituaries.......D6 Opinion...........B1

Outdoors ........ E5 Real Estate.....G3

Transportation F8 Travel .............. E6

Two teams contend to play role in future of Arcadia Commons West

A team of developers says the Arcadia Commons West needs an anchor — an exceptional business, facility or usage that will attract restaurants, retailers, residential uses and others. The anchor needs to give that four-block, undeveloped, nearly barren swath of land on the northwest corner of the central business district “a sense of place,” Greg Dobson said on behalf of a Kalamazoobased team of property developers and managers, AVB Inc. and Hinman Co. “If you look at great projects around town, most of them have an anchor that really defines them and allows them to grow,” said Dobson, chief operating officer for AVB. “We want to engage with the (Arcadia Commons) stakeholders and see if there isn’t something that really comes to the table ... to really do something special and successful in downtown Kalamazoo.” The AVB/Hinman combo is one of two teams of property professionals seeking to help a task force of downtown stakeholders draft a plan for the 6.3-acre property bordered by Kalamazoo Avenue, Park Street, Water Street and Westnedge Avenue. The teams were interviewed Thursday morning at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum by the Arcadia Commons West Task Force. Task force chairman Kenneth Miller said their presentations will be reviewed within two weeks, and a decision will be made in 30 to 60 days. Rise Real Estate, based in Valdosta, Georgia, and Lord Aeck Sargent, an Ann Arborbased architectural firm, is the other development team vying to work with the task force.

A263

2010 HONDA CIVIC

Month Month

2010 CHEVY EQUINOX

FEEDBACK

Sports............. C1 Weather..........D4

Send your comments to comments@mlive.com.

2014 FORD FOCUS

Month

2008 CHEVY MALIBU LTZ

(269)426-5055 • www.AutoOutletMotorMall.com

KA SUNDAY

99/mo

Developers pitch vision for project downtown

SEE DEVELOP, A2

2015 RAM 1500 SLT BIGHORN

ajones5@mlive.com

PORTAGE NATIVE BLAKE WHYTE, ON AN UNUSUAL CONCERT COMING UP. DETAILS, A11

Home of the $ 99/mo car!

mo mo*

By Al Jones

By Alex Mitchell

amitche5@mlive.com

nature.”

Local............... A5 Lottery ............ A2

119

KALAMAZOO

I just wanted to “connect music and

INDEX

for more...

2015 CHRYSLER 200 S

DAILY QUOTE

Advice............. E4 Classiﬁed/Jobs. F3

*lease mo

$ A227TA

2005 F150

Month $

109

Month

2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER

30% down/84mos TTL/with approved credit.

3825 Lake St. at Sprinkle Rd. Kalamazoo

7296473-03

TODAY’S MUST-READS

Turn to BACK C Of O BUSINESS US

7254127-03 127-03 03 3

129

SPORT S / C1

A2 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Local&More GRAND RAPIDS

Emmy Award-winning journalist coming back to TV with WZZM

CONTACT US Kalamazoo mlive.com/kalamazoo Mickey Ciokajlo Editor mciokajl@mlive.com 269.903.3597 Ed Finnerty Managing Producer eﬁnnert@mlive.com 269.350.6833 Tammy Mills Community Engagement Specialist tmills1@mlive.com 269.350.6924 By Department kznews@mlive.com kzsports@mlive.com kzbusiness@mlive.com kzentertainment@mlive.com Letters kzletters@mlive.com Jon Ginop Director of Sales jginop@mlive.com 616.438.2107 Obituaries KAobits@mlive.com 269.381.5100 Customer Service/Delivery customercare@mlive.com 800.466.2472 Note: Customer Service is closed Saturdays.

Statewide

mlivemediagroup.com Danny R. Gaydou President president@mlive.com John P. Hiner Vice President of Content jhiner@mlive.com Charity Plaxton Chief Revenue Ofﬁcer cplaxton@mlive.com Michael Assink Vice President of Sales massink1@mlive.com Steve Westphal Senior Director for National Accounts swestpha@mlive.com By Department advertise@mlive.com marketing@mlive.com

DELIVERY Kalamazoo Gazette Published seven days a week by Mlive Media Group 300 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 Phone 269-388-7789 or 800-466-2472 Postage paid at Kalamazoo, MI Publication identiﬁcation: (USPS 289-500) Postmaster Send address changes to Advance Central Services, 3102 Walker Ridge Dr., Walker, MI 49544 Subscription Rates Tues-Thur-Sun $4.99 per week Thur-Sun $4.49 per week Sun $3.99 per week By Mail: Tues-Thur-Sun $5.00 per week, Sunday Only $4.50 per week Subscription includes access to the print or digital edition during the time covered by the current subscription payment period. No credits or refunds for temporary stops of print delivery. Thanksgiving Edition charged at the then current Sunday retail rate. Deliveries by independent carriers.

reporter for Newschannel 3’s I-team, Bailey ruffled plenty of feathers. Last year, his investigation of a state worker playing golf on taxpayer time prompted new state rules along with criminal charges. “I believe in journalism, and I believe in holding people accountable,” Bailey said. “The last thing I want people to think is that’s dying.” A past Emmy Award winner from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Best News Reporter, Bailey’s been nominated for 11 Emmy awards in his time at WWMT-TV for his investigative reports. Bailey also has won several Associated Press awards at the CBS affiliate serving West Michigan. As resident of Grand Rapids, Bailey won’t have so far to commute to wor: “I am glad to be back reporting in the Grand Rapids area, where I’ve lived for many years.”

KALAMAZOO

Tornado watch issued Saturday By Ryan Shek

rshek@mlive.com

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch Saturday for Kalamazoo County and surrounding Southwest Michigan counties. The watch was to remain in effect until midnight Saturday for

Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Cass, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties. Thirty Michigan counties were included in the watch. According to NWS, severe thunderstorms are possible into Sunday. Forecasters warn of high winds, heavy rain and hail.

OBITUARIES LIST SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 Complete obituaries begin on Page D6. For more information, go to mlive.com.

ANDERSON Nancy L., 71, Camden, Ohio (Newcomer Funeral Home, Dayton, Ohio) BETKE Joan, 84, Kalamazoo (Parchment Redmond Funeral Home) BUSH Doris Marie, 92, Kalamazoo (Life Story Funeral Home, Portage) GELLER Irene C., 94, Bluffdale, Utah GRUBKA JOHN, 92, Kalamazoo (Avink Funeral Home) GUHL Barbara Jean, 74, Three Rivers (Hohner Funeral Home ) HERSCHLEB Lynn, 79, Portage (Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, Kalamazoo) HESTER Mary Lou Derum HILLIS Mabel B. “Mickey”, 90, Kalamazoo (Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel) HYDE Joyce Elaine, 92, Kalamazoo KALBERER Gertrude “Gert”, 98, Kalamazoo (Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes) KEY Benny “Dale”, 72, Delton (Beeler-Gores Funeral Home) KNAFEL (KNOTT) Betty Jean, 84, Richland (Farley-Estes

LOTTERY Results from Saturday: Midday Daily 3: 509 Midday Daily 4: 8961

& Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care) MACKEY Richard, 87, Vicksburg (Life Story Funeral Homes) MASSEY JR Robert C., Richland (Farley Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home) MAURER Murray Thomas, 80, Kalamazoo (Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes) MEYER Sarah Jane, 83, Kalamazoo (Avink Funeral Home Cremation Society) MOON Pearl SAMPSELL Ken, 67, Lawton (Betzler & Thompson Life Story Funeral Homes, Paw Paw) SHELDON Frank E., 90, Formerly of Portage SMITH Edna Ruth “Ruthie”, 98, Kalamazoo (Avink Funeral Home) ST. JOHN GARRIDO Christopher Jose (Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Memorial Chapel) SUNDBERG Harold C., 89 VANDERVEEN Frederick R. VANHEUVELEN Alma R. (Viswat-Weeldreyer), 96, Kalamazoo (Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel) WIESSNER Gladys Naydeen, 101, Kalamazoo (Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Portage Chapel) (WITHROW) ECKLOR Betty Jane, Lawton (Life Story Funeral Home, BetzlerThompson) ZIRING Lawrence PhD, 86, Portage (Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel)

Representatives of Rise Real Estate and Lord Aeck Sargent greet community members interested in the Arcadia Commons West project. (Al Jones/MLive.com)

Develop

CONTINUED FROM A1

Each has been involved in multiple projects in Michigan and the Kalamazoo area, and Lord Aeck has a representative who lives in Kalamazoo. “You’re looking at probably a couple of different phases of development,” Matthew Marshall said of the vision Rise Real Estate has for Arcadia Commons West. Marshall painted a picture of a small neighborhood with 300 to 325 townhome apartment units and flats, a few restaurants, a few retailers and a promenade that allows people to walk or ride bicycles to the east side of downtown. He also suggested using one of the small buildings already on the site and adjacent to the Arcadia Creek — the former Gilmore auto dealership body shop — as a restaurant. Rise Real Estate is primarily a residential development company, he said, and its vision of having a community of townhomes and apartments as the centerpiece of the project is just a starting point he and six other representatives of their team shared. But Marshall said, “We’re here to listen first and act second. So we’re looking forward to working with the people of Kalamazoo to identify the most correct project we can that fits within the community and fits within the market that can sustain it as well.” Kenneth Miller, chairman of the task force, described the gathering as “an exciting moment for all of us.” He said the task force started gathering in 2000 when Western Michigan University received about half of the land in Arcadia Commons West as a gift. Since then, DTI, the redevelopment arm of Downtown Kalamazoo Inc., purchased most of the rest of the contiguous land on the western edge of the downtown with the idea of doing a project that would transform

Late Friday result: Mega Millions: 6, 17, 30, 31, 41 Mega Ball: 15 Megaplier: x3 Saturday’s Fantasy 5 jackpot was worth $105,000. Saturday’s Classic Lotto 47 jackpot was worth $12.65 million. Saturday’s Powerball jackpot was worth $70 million. Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot is worth $152 million. More results at mlive.com/ lottery. Other drawings took place after our deadline.

Date

Pay to

WINNER IN PORT

7/16/2015

HURON!

$507,067 Dollar s

Odds of winning: $1: 1 in 10; $10: 1 in 103; $100: 1 in 3,387; Jackpot: 1 in 575,757. Overall odds: 1 in 9. If you bet more than you can afford to lose, you’ve got a problem. Call 1-800-270-7117 for conﬁdential help.

the downtown. Miller said the area is “a critical component of the central business district and the surrounding neighborhoods. ... This is a significant bridge area.” Steve Deisler, president of Downtown Kalamazoo Inc.said the task force has been working on the process since last October. Roger Hinman, head of the property development company that bears his name, said there needs to be a market for whatever goes into the Arcadia Commons West area. “Creating the excitement and the vibe that you see in communities where the university and the downtown are closer and interactive — downtown Ann Arbor and downtown Grand Rapids are two good examples — those communities have thrived,” Hinman said. “And I think we’re missing out on that by having Western (Michigan University) too far down the street. So part of our goal, I think, is to see if there isn’t something that the university could put downtown.” AVB principal Joseph Gesmundo said the sports arena/events center that was proposed for the site in 2009 and was abandoned in late 2012 could have anchored the area. He advised patience in the development process,, saying that many of the projects AVB and Hinman have done over the past 48 years — including the Greenspire residential complex and The Corner@Drake retail development, which houses the new Costco warehouse membership club — took years to put together. “I’m extremely excited about the opportunity this project presents for us,” said Jim Nicolow, vice president of architectural

“Part of our goal, I think, is to see if there isn’t something that the university could put downtown.” ROGER HINMAN, DEVELOPER

firm Lord Aeck Sargent. He is a Galesburg native who has lived in Kalamazoo for the past 10 years and is the project principal on Western Michigan University’s new $40 million residence hall complex, which is expected to be completed this fall, as well as the completed Nature Camp at the Kalamazoo Nature Center and a project currently being designed for Kalamazoo College. He said the firm is expert in urban design planning and mixed-use development. It would work with Rise Real Estate if chosen for the project. Marshall, of Rise, said it is not a company that works on its own. “We’re not here to tell you what to do,” he said. “We’re here to work with you and eventually come up with something that works.”

IMPOSSIBLE DEADLINES DELIVERED

1116 W CENTRE ! 323 323-9333 93

7332003-04

Summer Sale! Fans for small rooms to great rooms. Fans for indoor and outdoors. Fans from 42’’ to 72’’ 80 styles on display

Installation available Locally Owned and Operated Since 1933

www.hodgsonlightandlog.com M-W-F 9-8 Tu-Th 9-6 Sat 10-6 Sun 12-5

(269) 323-9360

250 Mall Drive S. Westnedge at Southland

7348994-04

Michigan Emmy Award-winning journalist David Bailey, who left WWMT-TV 3 in April, is returning to TV journalism at WZZM-TV 13. Bailey, who was honored in March as Best News Reporter by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, returns to the Battle CreekKalamazoo-Grand Rapids media market Sept. 1. Bailey puts his eight years of experience as an investigative reporter for the CBS-TV affiliate in Kalamazoo to work as a reporter for the Watchdog

Investigative Team for the ABC-TV affiliate in Grand Rapids. “Over the last few months and over many years, I’ve become friends and colleagues with some talented folks at Channel 13, and I’m Bailey humbled to be part of such an awesome team,” Bailey said. “I promise all of you I will be a watchdog. I will hold our leaders accountable, and I will find the truth.” Bailey left WWMT-TV in April. His contract had a six-month non-compete clause that now has ended. “For me, it was my best journalistic year last year. I had a really, really good year,” Bailey said in April. “For this to happen, it’s really disappointing. I wish it had gone in a different direction.” During his tenure as chief investigative

7340960-26

By Jeﬀrey Kaczmarczyk

jkaczmarczyk@mlive.com

800-451-0860

KALAMAZOO GAZETTE / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / A3

Quick Hits From staff and wire reports.

Alexis de Tocqueville, in an 1849 caricature. (MLive.com ﬁles)

The new owner of the Mall Plaza Building plans a dramatic renovation of the downtown property that will convert most of its retail and office space into

Joshua Cartwright had methamphetamine in his system when he drove a minivan into the path of an Amtrak train last year, killing him and his two passengers, tests show. Blood taken from Cartwright tested positive for the stimulant following the Nov. 18 crash.

STATE-ISTICS

THE GAS TAX STANDINGS Much has been made in the past two years of Michigan having the sixthhighest gasoline tax in the nation. But that’s no longer true. Here are the top 10 state gasoline taxes, excise and otherwise, in cents per gallon.* Rankings for 2013 are in parentheses. The ﬁgures do not include the federal excise tax of 18.4 cents a gallon. *Figures include a calculation of sales tax and averaging of any local taxes that may apply.

60¢ 50¢

Figures are in cents per gallon

40¢ 30¢

35.99

184

Years since Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville arrived in Detroit, July 22, 1831, on the journey that led to the classic “Democracy in America.” Look up the calendar entry at bit.ly/ CMUtimeline.

Mall Plaza Building going residential

Driver in fatal crash was under inﬂuence of meth

35.99

Degrees as record for “coldest high” in Grand Rapids on July 8, tying for the date in 2000 and 2004.

KALAMAZOO

OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP

36.25

Board members voted 6-1 to follow a recommendation by a citizen committee. Board members feared the cost and complexities of running a police department.

Amid declining enrollment, Davenport University is closing its locations in Kalamazoo and Flint and restructuring several of its campuses across Michigan. In addition, the university’s Battle Creek campus will close. Some of the programs at the local campus will shift to Kalamazoo Community College.

36.42

Value of University of Michigan’s new 11-year contract with Nike. Nike will provide the U-M athletic department with $76.8 million in cash and $80.2 million in apparel.

Davenport to close local campus

apartments. The Vernon Group LLC it plans to spend about $3 million to give the building at 157 S. Kalamazoo Mall a much more residential focus. It will have only two stores on the ground level, eliminating eight others. It will have office space in the basement and second floor and up to 29 apartments on other levels.

37.50

$169M

KALAMAZOO

40.86

Percent rise, on average, of residential electricity bills under stateapproved rates to reflect the cost of service. Commercial and industrial users may expect decreases.

he Oshtemo Township Board of Trustees rejected the idea of starting its own police department, instead choosing to resume negotiations with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office to continue to provide the township’s law enforcement needs.

42.35

3.45

Township will stick with sheriﬀ patrols

44.76

Dollars of discretionary funding out of the state’s $54.5 billion budget. Much of the rest is tied to federal matching dollars, education and corrections.

LIVES AND LEGACIES

OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP

45.99

2.7 billion

YOU SHOULD KNOW/THE WEEK’S BIG NEWS

51.60

MICHIGAN INDEX

20¢ 10¢ 0

Pa. N.Y. Hawaii Calif. Conn. Wash. Fla. N.C. Ill. Mich. (15th) (1st) (3rd) (2nd) (4th) (9th) (10th) (8th) (5th) (6th)

Source: American Petroleum Institute

BIG SALE

(MLive.com)

‘Father Fitz’ Monsignor William J. Fitzgerald, the Catholic priest affectionately known as “Father Fitz,” died Tuesday. He was 84. Fitzgerald, former director of South Street House in Kalamazoo for men considering a religious vocation, served as pastor for several parishes in the dioceses of Lansing and Kalamazoo before retiring from active ministry in 2001. After his retirement, he also served as the diocese of Kalamazoo’s vicar for clergy, as a spiritual director for many individuals and at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska. William Fitzgerald was born in Fitzgerald Pinckney on Jan. 17, 1931. He earned degrees from Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth and Michigan State University. He was ordained June 1, 1957. Early in his priesthood, he served at various parishes in Lansing, at Monsignor Rafferty High School and the diocesan offices. He began as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Kalamazoo in 1969 and served there until 1980. He then was pastor of St. Philip Parish in Battle Creek from 1980 until his retirement in 2001. Fitzgerald was vicar for Christian education from 1971 to 1979 and on the Presbyteral Council from 1995 to 1998.

THE

50% %

OFF

Dress Pants $3999 to

5299

Reg. $65.00 - $75.00.

% Dress Shirts 25 off Entire Stock.

Socks & 25%off Underwear Gold Toe & Jockey.

Cork & Lovers Lane | 381.0746

M-F 9:30-9, Sat 9:30-6 LIKE US: facebook.com/pages/Libins

7331793-13

Entire Stock.

7338487-06

Suits & Sportcoats Knit & Sport Shirts Shorts & Swimwear Women’s Sportswear Big & Tall

A4 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Quick Hits From staff and wire reports.

SEEING THE LIGHT

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Fireworks: a blast or just a bother?

Two light stations stand at the Michigan Island site. Tours will be available during the 20th annual Apostle Islands Lighthouse Celebration from Sept. 1-19. Visit online at lighthousecelebration.com for more information. (Submitted photo)

Michigan Island light station signals Lake Superior islands Editor’s note: This is part of a summer series on Great Lakes lighthouses. Information is from the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, gllka.com.

A ﬁrework stand on Westnedge Avenue drew shoppers who wanted to buy ﬁreworks for the recent holiday weekend. (Daytona Niles/MLive.com)

“Beyond the noise, I question how many of the temporary fireworks tents are paying sales tax.” BIG DUTCHMAN

“Injuries up because of this law. More tax dollars, sure — but it’s blood money. Not the way to get revenue.”

ichigan Island is part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Lake Superior. There are actually two towers at the light station on this island. According to historical documents, the first light was intended to be built on nearby Long Island. Instead, the light was constructed on Michigan Island. This original light consists of a 64-foot brick tower connected to a 1½ story brick keeper’s house. Built in 1857, it saw service for a year, then sat dark for ten years before being reactivated and used until 1929 when it was inactivated again. The new light, much taller than the old, was placed into ser-

MLive.com asked readers what they thought of Michigan’s 2011 fireworks law, which allows licensed vendors to sell highpowered, airborne fireworks. Under 2013 legislation, local governments can enact an ordinance banning overnight use of consumer-grade fireworks the day before, of or after a national holiday. Here’s what some of you had to say. (Related story, B1).

vice in 1929. The 112-foot skeletal cast iron tower originally was located at Schooner’s Ledge on the Delaware River. When the Coast Guard installed a new pole light in that location, the cast iron tower was moved to Michigan Island. Michigan Island can be accessed by private boat as well as scheduled cruises by Apostle Islands Cruises (apostleisland. com). Visit lighthousecelebration.com or call 715-779-5619 for more information.

PROGRESS ROCKS

“If people enjoy them, then they are going to get them. I would rather have the money spent in Michigan than in neighboring states.” MICK C

“The law is a success if you can have an ounce of common courtesy and stop shooting them off past midnight.”

“My dogs don’t like them. I have neighbors that are over the top, but criminalizing fireworks is more punishing tradition than actually stopping criminal activity.”

“A lot of punks set them off in neighborhoods with houses that are close together, and that’s one of the big problems.”

SELLOUT JOE

TURBLU 87

DD2

7360201-03

KALAMAZOO GAZETTE / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / A5

Local KALAMAZOO

Area man apologizes for stealing pig topiary Hundreds gathered at the Overlander Band Shell at Portage Central Park for the Taste of Portage. (Daytona Niles/ MLive.com)

PORTAGE

Hundreds support amateur athletics at Taste of Portage

By Ryan Shek

rshek@mlive.com

The man accused of stealing a pig topiary from Kalamazoo in Bloom turned himself in Thursday. Video of the man walking away from Arcadia Festival Place with the pig in tow spurred a social media manhunt after it was posted by fans of the nonprofit organization that decorates Kalamazoo and Portage with flowers and animal topiaries. After realizing he had become the focus of

Facebook ire and local news stories, the thief reportedly came forward to the organization and apologized. “The individual admitted to not thinking about the possible consequences for these actions and has voluntarily offered to reimburse Kalamazoo in Bloom for the loss,” Monika Trahe, executive director of the nonprofit, said in a news release. The pig, valued at $100, never was recovered, though the man’s apology was well-received by the organization, the release said.

By Ryan Shek

rshek@mlive.com

As dozens of families trickled into Portage’s Don Overlander Band Shell on Saturday, Noel Corwin stood, flanked by 13 food vendors, sampling a dish of blueberry cobbler. “Delicious food, man,” Corwin said, gesturing toward bustling tents and smoking barbecues. “For the people who are around town during the summer, (the Taste of Portage) is a great way to socialize, to connect with their community and enjoy the spaces we have.” Hundreds gathered at the Overlander Band Shell to sample local food and enjoy live music at the Taste of Portage. Al’s Basement Band and the Spazmatics hit the stage while Windy City K-9 Unit, Bert’s Bakery and Bomba’s Bar-BQ doled out helpings of local cuisine among 10 other food vendors. The event, expected to draw up to 3,000 people throughout the day, also featured mini disc golf, kids activities and the chance to meet Portage Central and Portage Northern athletes.

Marcos Fonseca, 31, of Marcellus, left, is pictured with his wife, Chelsea, and the couple’s two daughters, Lundyn and Nora. (Submitted photo) MARCELLUS

Daytona Niles/MLive.com

Proceeds will go back into the Portage Public Schools system through the Portage Athletic Foundation, said Karen Bergman, the foundation’s president. “We donate everything to the schools,” Bergman said, adding the money goes toward anything from scoreboards to headsets. “(The funds) allow us to get things that are not otherwise covered in the budget and keeps our sports teams competitive.”

Portage residents Brian and Michelle Vanderhoof, the parents of three Portage Northern students, attended Saturday’s event to support district athletes. “(We’ll support) anything that can benefit the athletic program,” Brian Vanderhoof said. “(The Taste of Portage) is good for everyone,” Michelle Vanderhoof added. “The people of Portage, young and old, are getting together (for) their community.”

KALAMAZOO

Candidates who have ﬁled to run for city commission and mayor By Alex Mitchell

Kalamazoo County Public Housing Commission The Kalamazoo City and works as director of Clerk’s office released a housing and facilities at list of candidates Friday Kalamazoo Community who have filed to run Health and Substance for the Kalamazoo City Abuse Services. He is a Commission or mayor in resident of the Stuart neighthe Nov. 3 election. borhood. After changes to the city •Kalamazoo City charter were approved by Commissioner Don Cooney, voters last fall, this will be 78, who is seeking election the first election in which to his 10th term on the city candidates must declare commission after first being whether they intend to seek elected in 1997. Cooney is an one of six commission seats associate professor of social or the mayor’s position. work at Western Michigan The change does not grant University and is the comthe mayor any additional mission’s longest-serving authority. member. He is a resident of The following are candithe Milwood neighborhood. dates who have submitted •Kalamazoo City their nominating petitions Commissioner Jack Urban, with the required number 73, who is seeking election of signatures and have had to his second term as a city those signatures verified by commissioner after previthe clerk’s office: ously serving three terms Mayor: as a Kalamazoo County •Kalamazoo Mayor Commissioner from 2007 Bobby Hopewell, 51, who to 2012. Urban is a retired is seeking his consecutive chemical engineer who term as mayor and seventh worked for Pharmacia and overall on the commission Upjohn. He is a resident of after being first elected in the Westnedge Hill neigh2003. Hopewell currently borhood. is the president and CEO of •Kalamazoo City Mobile Health Resources, of Commissioner Eric Lansing. He is a resident of Cunningham, 33, who is the Stuart neighborhood. seeking election to his City commission: first term as a city com•Kalamazoo Vice Mayor missioner after being David Anderson, 63, who is appointed in January to fill seeking a sixth term on the former city commissioner city commission. Anderson Stephanie Moore’s seat is chairman of the after she was elected to the amitche5@mlive.com

Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners. He is an eligibility specialist with the state of Michigan and has worked for the state for 11 years. He is a resident of the Westnedge Hill neighborhood. •Timothy Graham, 62. He is a resident of the West Main Hill neighborhood. •Matt Milcarek, 31, who is the construction manager at Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services. Milcarek also is a member of the city’s budget revenue panel recently created by City Manager Jim Ritsema. He is a resident of the Vine neighborhood. •Erin Knott, 40, who is the Michigan director of Enroll America, a national nonprofit that works to maximize the number of U.S. citizens who receive health care under the Affordable Care Act. She is a resident of the Douglas neighborhood. (Related story, A8) •Shannon Sykes, 33. According to her LinkedIn page, Sykes is the African American constituency director for Friends of Jon Hoadley. Hoadley, a Democrat, is a first-term state representative for the 60th District, which covers Kalamazoo. She is a resident of the Westnedge Hill neighborhood. The clerk’s website also

notes Sid Ellis, director of mission advancement at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, submitted petitions to run for the city commission but has since withdrawn. Incumbent commissioners Bob Cinabro and Barb Miller have announced they will not seek re-election. In addition to the above candidates, Vine neighborhood residents Cody Dekker and Leona Carter also have announced they intend to run for the city commission this fall. Additionally, Milwood neighborhood resident Kris Mbah has stated he intends to challenge Hopewell for mayor. Commissioners and the mayor are elected on an atlarge, nonpartisan basis. Due to the recent charter changes, the top three finishers in the Nov. 3 election will serve four-year terms and the next three finishers will serve two-year terms. Starting with the 2017 election, all commissioner terms will be for four years. The highest vote-getter among city commission candidates will become vice mayor. City residents interested in running must submit nominating petitions and affidavits of identity to the city clerk’s office by 4 p.m. Tuesday.

‘Family and friends were always ﬁrst’ for area man By Rex Hall Jr.

rhall2@mlive.com

To those who knew him, Marcos Fonseca wasn’t just a loving father, husband and son. He was a best friend. That’s how family and friends are remembering Fonseca, 31, of Marcellus, as they celebrate his life and mourn his death Tuesday in a fall at H&H Grain & Feed Inc., in Vicksburg. “Marc lived for a number of things, but family and friends were always first,” said an obituary posted Thursday on the website of MaterRalston Funeral Home, in Marcellus. “He wasn’t just a father, husband, son, uncle, etc., he was a best friend. He was passionate about music, and it was a voice of his heart for others to hear.” Fonseca was killed Tuesday morning after he fell about 15 feet at H&H Grain & Feed, where he worked. Firefighters and Kalamazoo County sheriff’s deputies found him after responding to the business at 9:46 a.m. following a report someone had fallen two stories. Sheriff’s investigators said before falling, Fonseca was looking at a new office area of a mill that is under construction at H&H. As he was leaving the office area, he stepped down onto a lower platform and fell about 15 feet. Undersheriff Pali Matyas said earlier this

week Fonseca’s death is being investigated as an accident. Officials from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration also are investigating. Fonseca’s family issued a statement Wednesday expressing gratitude for the support they have received. A GoFundMe account set up for the family Wednesday had raised $12,485, as of Thursday afternoon. Fonseca is survived by his wife, Chelsea, the couple’s two daughters, Lundyn and Nora, as well as his parents, Johnny Sr. and Kathryn Fonseca; his sister, Jennifer (Steve) Haley; his brother, Johnny (Sarah) Fonseca Jr.; and brother-in-law Karl (Catherine Lopez), all of Marcellus. He also is survived by brothers-in-law Glen (Christina) Gearhart, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and J. Collin Gearhart; sistersin-law Becky (Primo) Garcia, Rachel Gearhart and Heather Gearhart; father-in-law and motherin-law Carl and Brenda Gearhart, of Marcellus, according to the obituary. Visitation for Fonseca is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Sunday at Marcellus Middle School. A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the middle school. Memorial donations can be directed to the Marcos Fonseca Memorial Fund at G.W. Jones Exchange Bank in Marcellus.

KALAMAZOO

Cork Street to be closed for roundabout construction By Emily Monacelli

emonacel@mlive.com

Cork Street at Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo will be closed to traffic starting July 27 as crews add roundabouts at the Sprinkle Road interchange with I-94.

The road will be closed from July 27 through Aug. 9. Northbound and southbound Sprinkle Road will remain open to traffic, but no access from Cork Street will be permitted. A detour will be posted.

A6 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Local Spill

Gazette. “... We accepted responsibiloutstanding lawsuits, said company ity; we have and continue to honor spokeswoman Jennifer Smith, who our declined commitment.” to comment further on CONTINUED FROM A1 Comstock Township Supervisor pending litigation. Ann Nieuwenhuis, whose communiIn June, Enbridge also reached a In the five years since, under the settlement with tribal, state and fed- ty locked horns with Enbridge when oversight of state and federal enviit sought to put a pad for temporary eral officials under which it agreed ronmental agencies, Enbridge has to pay $4 million for restoration proj- storage of dredged river sediment spent $1.21 billion on remediation near Morrow Lake without approval, ects along the river. That included efforts to remove the oil from the said she found the company to be a planting more than 80,000 native waters, dredge the riverbeds and willing partner once a suitable locatrees and shrubs along the river to restore the river’s natural state. tion was approved in 2014. help stimulate natural growth and “I was amazed at how quickly it restore the ecosystem, said Dave started to come back,” said Rocho, Certainly no one wants to have the disaster we had” she said, “but Bareham, an Enbridge project manadding that, within a year of the I think the river is cleaner now as a ager overseeing monitoring of the spill, he began to see fish jumping river and overbank areas ordered by result of their work.” again. “Obviously, it was a tragedy, it was a terrible accident, but I think the MDEQ. ‘LEARNING EXPERIENCE’ Bareham said three monitoring they’ve done some really tremendous As for the legacy of the spill, the processes will conclude at the end things.” rivershed council’s Hamilton said the of 2016, as long as Enbridge and the ‘ENJOY THE RIVER’ fact it was the first “large” tar sands MDEQ agree no new significant oil or sheen related to the spill are found oil spill into a freshwater river in the Nearly the entire 39-mile stretch nation’s history will make it notable. in the river. of the Kalamazoo River affected “This is the kind of oil we’re At this point, no significant by the spill, from Talmadge Creek increasingly transporting through amounts of oil are being found in in Calhoun County’s Marshall pipelines, especially a lot more in sediment, and oil sheen is not being Township to the Morrow Dam in Western Canada,” Hamilton said. detected, Bareham said. Kalamazoo County’s Comstock “The whole submerged oil part of it Township, has been open for public In addition to work on the riverbed, Enbridge is required to monitor was unexpected and ... a very imporuse since June 2012. overbank areas impacted by the spill tant learning experience that should “From where I sit — having been inform future inland spills and the that could have affected groundwainvolved since (the oil spill’s) very response to them.” ter, said Mark DuCharme, a local early days — we see a tremenOn July 14, a state pipeline safety project coordinator for MDEQ. dous improvement,” said Nicole task force report recommended an “When the spill occurred, the Zacharda, enforcement specialist immediate third-party analysis and river was at flood stage and some with the Michigan Department risk assessment of Enbridge’s aging oil deposited there as it receded,” of Environmental Quality, which twin oil pipelines under the Straits of DuCharme said. assumed oversight from the U.S. Mackinac. Environmental Protection Agency TAKING RESPONSIBILITY It also recommends a ban on last fall. “We do not believe there is transport of heavy crude oil like what Smith, the Enbridge spokeswoma risk to the public in going out and spilled into the Kalamazoo River. an, said the company remains comenjoying that resource. mitted to monitoring the Kalamazoo Enbridge has said heavy diluted bitu“In fact, we encourage them to men oil has never, and will never, be River and has taken a number of enjoy the river.” internal steps since 2010 to ensure a run under the Straits. Among the numerous studies “I think the Kalamazoo River is similar spill doesn’t happen again. on health effects of the spill, the going to go down as the reason we Some of those include: investing Michigan Department of Community can’t have tar sands,” said Chris Health concluded no long-term harm $50 million in emergency response Wahmhoff, a Kalamazoo resident equipment since 2012; conducting to human health is expected from who made headlines in 2013 when more than 850 exercises, drills and contact with chemicals in the water during recreational activities such as deployment events in 2012 and 2013; he used a skateboard to slide into an Enbridge oil pipeline being built near and launching an interactive trainwading, swimming, or canoeing. Marshall. ing program to help emergency Steve Hamilton, president of the “We’ve been the example of why board of directors for the Kalamazoo responders and dispatchers quickly Keystone XL can’t go through. In and effectively respond to pipeline River Watershed Council, agrees. Canada, we’re the example of why emergencies. “If people go and paddle down the they need to stop tar sands extrac“From the moment we mobilized river, they will quickly see it might tion and movement up there,” said our original response, Enbridge has not be what they imagined — it’s a been — and remains — fully commit- Wahmhoff, who views the legacy of lot better than people realize,” he the Kalamazoo River spill as both a ted to completing the remediation said. cautionary tale and call to action. of the Kalamazoo River, and will From what researchers can tell, “Unfortunately, our misery is continue to work in the best interest animal life and native vegetation the canary in the coal mine, as it of the affected communities,” Smith is mostly “back to normal,” said were.” said in an email to the Kalamazoo Hamilton, a professor at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station in Augusta. “It didn’t come easy,” he said. “A great amount of money and effort was spent to get it where it was today.” In addition to the $1.2 billion spent on remedial efforts, Enbridge paid $75 million in a settlement announced in May by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office to, among other things, help restore affected waterways and wetlands and provide additional public access points along the river. The Canadian-based company in December settled a class-action lawsuit filed by residents along the Kalamazoo River. Terms included payments to people living within 1,000 feet of the river, donations to organizations that benefit the community or support recreation on the river, and a fund to reimburse people Three Enbridge Energy representatives and one rep from the Michigan who incurred expenses because of Department of Environmental Quality monitor for new petroleum sheen by the spill. “poling” thousands of areas Wednesday along the 39-mile stretch of the KaEnbridge also purchased a numlamazoo River in Battle Creek. On July 25, 2010, an Enbridge Energy pipeline ber of homes from owners who felt 6B gushed hundreds of thousands of gallons of heavy crude oil into Talmadge their properties lost value because Creek and the Kalamazoo River before it was discovered and shut down. of the spill, including Rocho’s family The Enbridge spill impacted more than 38 miles of the Kalamazoo River and home. Enbridge is still involved in a “few” 4,435 acres of adjacent shoreline habitat. (Crystal Vander Weit/MLive.com)

Join us for a Free Concert in Bronson Park at 4 pm Today! Espoma Rose Tone Fertilizer 18 lb. bag feeds 36 roses ............................... $14.95 $18.49 Bonide Mosquito Beater Area Treatment with Permethrin 32 oz. ready to spray treats 5,000 sq.ft. ............................... $12.40 $14.95

Nicholas Schwartz - Double Bassist –2009 Stulberg Gold Medalist and distinguised member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

On this sunny morning on the Kalamazoo River, its a perfect day for boating. On one of the river’s backchannels off a private boat launch in Battle Creek, four men have just launched a small flatboat for a trip downstream. But the purpose of their trip isn’t recreation. Instead, the three Enbridge Energy representatives and one from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality who will stop about every 50 yards to “pole” sediment on riverbed to locate any remnants of oil remaining from the July 25, 2010 Kalamazoo River spill. The work, required under a MDEQ plan calling for Enbridge to monitor the river through 2016, can be “arduous,” admits Enbridge project manager Dave Bareham, who said three crews eventually will pole about 4,300 locations along a 39-mile stretch from Talmadge Creek to Morrow Lake in Kalamazoo County’s Comstock Township. Once the riverbed sediment is disturbed, an Enbridge and DEQ representative will peer into the water to determine if oil sheen has been released by the disruption. If so, the sheen will be measured. Bareham said very little sheen has been observed in 2015, although the testing has only recently begun. Steve Hamilton, president of the board of directors for the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council and a professor at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station, agreed

that little oil sheen has been observed this year, but noted that the river’s current high water level and relatively tepid temperature make it more difficult to detect sheen. The goal of the process is to monitor locations to make sure the amount of sheen released from sediment isn’t increasing from the previous year, Bareham said, who also noted that crews also monitor public access areas to determine whether any sheen there is biogenic or caused by boats or nearby runoff. Determining whether oil sheen is an aftereffect of the 2010 spill or from another source is one of the most difficult parts of the process, said Nicole Zacharda, an enforcement specialist with the MDEQ. “There’s petroleum all over the place from various sources of the environment,” Zacharda said. “If the monitoring activities were to show additional work was needed, the state would certainly have its work cut out for it in proving Enbridge is responsible.” Enbridge is also restoring natural vegetation along the river as it monitors overbank areas that potentially were exposed to oil because the river was in flood stage when the spill occurred. That includes removing invasive vegetation, such as purple loosestrife and phragmites, and replacing it with native trees and shrubs Enbridge has planted about 80,000. Mark DuCharme, an MDEQ project coordinator, said he expects minor remedial work and monitoring of the overbanks to extend into the early 2020s.

Fertilome Brush Killer for Poison Ivy and Invasive Woody Plants 32 oz. concentrates makes 8 gal. ............................... $15.99 $19.95 Bonide Grub Beater with Imidacloprid 6 lb. bag treats 5,000 sq.ft. ............................... $15.70 $18.95 MaxLawn Summer Lawn Fertilizer, 26-0-4 18 lb. bag fertilizes 5,000 sq.ft. ................................. $9.80 $11.85

Nature Center Bird Feed Mix 50 lb. bag ............................... $25.80 $29.95 Peanut Splits 20 lb. bag ............................... $18.95 $21.29 Suet Cakes 11 oz. assorted ﬂavors ........................................ 87¢ 99¢

Kalamazoo, Portage & surrounding areas in qualiﬁed zip codes with $50 minimum purchase.

Call or shop online to order

Monday-Friday 8 am-5:30 pm|Saturday 8 am-2 pm

381.0596

www.FarmNGarden.com Sale good through July 25, 2015

7342174-04

Free Home Delivery

7364488-02

269.342.5059

By Alex Mitchell

amitche5@mlive.com

1003 Staples Ave. Kalamazoo

Midway through the concert we will have a special presentation of the 2015 Community Arts Awards. Join us to honor our nine recipients who have helped enrich the arts in Kalamazoo! •

Enbridge still must keep an eye on river

What’s On Sale

arts council of greater kalamazoo

Learn more at: kalamazooarts.org 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo

Enbridge monitors for new petroleum sheen by “poling” a stretch of the Kalamazoo River. The sediment is disturbed by the pole, and any sheen that is released then is measured. (Crystal Vander Weit/MLive.com)

KALAMAZOO GAZETTE / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / A7

Local

ASK

TIMELINE: THE OIL SPILL AND ITS AFTERMATH

LAWYER

MICHAEL J. WILLIS, J.D., C.P.A., WILLIS LAW

Please send your questions to:

Michael J. Willis, J.D., C.P.A.

Willis Law 491 West South Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269.492.1040 www.willislawyers.com

owner Larry Bell — who would later sue the company — said the dredge pad was too close to his production facility. The decision is eventually forwarded to the township’s zoning board of appeals. Feb. 18, 2014: Enbridge receives approval to move forward with plans to dredge Morrow Lake after receiving approval from the Comstock Township Planning Commission to place its dredge pad at Benteler Industries, which sits to the north of the lake. Feb. 21, 2014: Enbridge receives a permit from the Michigan DEQ to remove the Ceresco Dam, despite protests. “The Ceresco River Restoration project will have significant benefits for the Kalamazoo River by improving the fishery, removing the navigation hazard of the dam and providing other ecological benefits,” the DEQ said. June 4, 2014: A final assessment from MDCH concluded that no long-term harm to health is expected from contact with chemicals in the river’s surface water during recreational activities. A separate report in August concludes breathing air near the oil spill caused no long-term health effects. Oct. 9, 2014: More than four years after the leak, the Canadian pipeline company Enbridge completes its cleanup and restoration of the river. All sections are now opened for public use. Later filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission would show the company spent $1.21 billion on the cleanup. Dec. 9, 2014: Enbridge settles a class-action lawsuit filed by residents along the river. Terms include payments to people living within 1,000 feet of the river, donations to organizations that benefit the community or support river recreation and a fund for people who incurred expenses because of the oil spill. May 13, 2015: The Michigan Attorney General’s Office announces a $75 million settlement with Enbridge. “This settlement will help to restore affected waterways and wetlands, as well as provide improved access for families to enjoy the beauty of the Kalamazoo River,” Attorney General Bill Schuette said. June 8, 2015: Enbridge is ordered to pay an additional $4 million for restoration projects along the Kalamazoo River as part of a settlement the company reached with tribal, state and federal officials. Ongoing: With oversight from the DEQ, Enbridge will continue to monitor the Kalamazoo River and its overbanks for oil. Little to no sheen has been found, and monitoring will conclude at the end of 2016 if those results hold.

Michael J. Willis is the Managing Partner of Willis Law, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, is licensed to practice law in Florida and Michigan, and is registered as a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. Attorney Willis is rated as an A V -Preeminent Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating, according to Martindale, which has been rating lawyers for over a century, signifies that an attorney has reached the heights of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America.

5 CARS. 5 WINNERS. YOUR CHOICE!

EARN ENTRIES NOW – JULY 31 DRAWINGS EVERY TWO HOURS FRIDAY, JULY 31 2 PM – 10 PM

™

For purposes of what is deemed “inside creditor protection”, both a Michigan Corporation and Michigan LLC have the same protection. That is, a lawsuit that arises from activity inside the Corporation or LLC is filed against the Corporation or the LLC and generally not against the owners of the entity unless the owners were also negligent in their own right. That being said, for “outside creditors”, a Michigan LLC has a higher level of protection than a Michigan Corporation. For an outside creditor, or creditor that arises outside of the activities of the Corporation or LLC (think divorce, car accident, etc.), the Michigan LLC provides for what is called Charging Order Protection whereas a Michigan Corporation does not. This would mean that in the event of a lawsuit against an owner of a Corporation which lawsuit is unrelated to the Corporation, the creditor claimant could take the owner’s shareholder position within the Corporation, whereas in the LLC, the same would not be true.

Workers prepare to replace the ruptured section of the pipeline in August 2010. (MLive.com files) time the company reported a loss in at least five years. July 19, 2011: EPA announces 90 percent of the spilled oil has been removed, but notes oil found in the Morrow Lake, Mill Pond and Ceresco Dam areas is mixed with the sediment at the bottom of the river. Enbridge is given a deadline to clean those areas by Aug. 31. Enbridge would miss that deadline, with a company spokesman saying Enbridge was “not willing to sacrifice quality of the cleanup work to meet a certain date.” Sept. 27, 2011: Enbridge announces the cost of the cleanup has reached about $700 million, exceeding the $650 million insurance policy it had. April 18, 2012: Three miles of the Kalamazoo River — from Perrin Dam to Saylor’s Landing in Calhoun County — are reopened for public use. May 10, 2012: Enbridge announces a plan to replace its entire 6B pipeline to make it more structurally sound and increase the volume of oil flowing through the pipe. May 21, 2012: The National Transportation Safety Review Board releases 158 documents and 58 photos. The next day, the Michigan Department of Community Health reports drinking water remained virtually uncontaminated. June 11, 2012: A final study released by MDCH concludes that contact with submerged oil will not cause long-term health effects, although it notes contact with oil may cause temporary side effects such as skin irritation. June 21, 2012: The rest of the river reopens to the public, except for a 1,000-foot stretch near Morrow Lake. July 10, 2012: The National Transportation Safety Review Board releases its final analysis, which says Enbridge and federal regulators missed numerous opportunities to prevent or lessen the impact of the spill. According to the report, the pipeline company knew five years earlier there were cracks in the section of pipeline that failed. Federal regulators never fully reviewed the company’s spill response plan. And once the spill happened, Enbridge employees and spill responders acted like “Keystone Kops,” NTSB Chairwoman Deborah A. P. Hersman said. March 14, 2013: EPA orders Enbridge to do additional dredging along the Kalamazoo River in sections of the river above Ceresco Dam near Battle Creek and in Morrow Lake in Comstock Township. July 2, 2013: Enbridge is forced to halt work on Morrow Lake after Comstock Township officials reject a site application for a dredge pad the company had set up. Bell’s Brewery

What is better for asset protection? A Michigan Corporation or a Michigan Limited Liability Company (LLC)?

A LL M O NTH LO NG .

7146312-02

July 25, 2010: Enbridge Energy’s 6B pipeline, which runs from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario, sustains a 6-foot rupture that would leak 843,000 gallons of crude oil into the Talmadge Creek near Marshall, which flows into the Kalamazoo River. At 5:58 p.m., an alarm went off at Enbridge’s control center in Edmonton, Alberta, indicating a drop in pressure at the Marshall pump station. Around 9:30 p.m., Calhoun County 911 dispatchers receive calls reporting a smell of natural gas near the spill site off Division Drive and Old 27 in Marshall Township. Firefighters go to investigate but are unable to determine the source. July 26, 2010: At 11:16 a.m., a Consumers Energy employee alerts the Enbridge control center of the spill. The company’s regional manager was contacted at 11:30 a.m. and crews are dispatched at 11:45 a.m., when they lay booms to try to contain the oil. Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties launch their responses that afternoon. The response would include placing booms as far west as Morrow Lake and its dam in Comstock Township in hopes of containing the spill within a 38-mile stretch from where it occurred. July 27, 2010: Kalamazoo County officials declare a state of emergency. State officials advise the public and nearby residents to avoid the area because of high levels of benzene. Experts warn the chemical, used to help move thick tar sands oil through the pipeline, can cause leukemia and anemia, among other side effects, after prolonged exposure. President Barack Obama promises a swift response from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, whose officials are already on the scene. July 28, 2010: Gov. Jennifer Granholm declares the spill area a “state of disaster.” Kalamazoo County emergency management workers prepare to place additional precautionary booms west of Morrow Lake. July 29, 2010: The Calhoun County Health Department advises residents of about 30 to 50 homes to evacuate, although several homeowners in the immediate area had been urged to evacuate days earlier and were put up in nearby hotels at Enbridge’s expense. Enbridge soon announced it would buy the homes of homeowners who believed their property values declined as a result of the spill. In order to qualify, a home had to be within 200 feet of river in the affected area and had to be on the market before the incident. The company also offers to work with residents who felt the appraised value of their homes had been lowered by the spill. EPA officials confirm the spill was halted east of Morrow Lake and its dam. Health departments in Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties issue a no-contact order from Marshall to Morrow Dam. Aug. 10, 2010: A 100-foot section of the 6B pipeline is replaced by Enbridge. After discussions with the EPA, oil begins flowing again Sept. 27. Sept. 30, 2010: EPA officials announce initial cleanup of the oil spill is complete, with 760,000 gallons of crude oil having been captured. April 5, 2011: Enbridge’s annual report shows the company spent $550 million to combat the oil spill in 2010, which contributed to a net loss of $137.9 million at the end of the year. This was the first

THE BUSINESS AND ESTATE PLANNING

7331793-08

$25,000 ANNIVERSARY BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 • 1 PM

$15,000 CASH GRAND PRIZE! REGISTER NOW And enjoy a special $99 room rate, plus $50 in complimentary Match Play on August 7!

877-FKC-8777 | FireKeepersCasino.com

See the Red Hot Rewards Club booth for complete details. Management reserves all rights. 7338050-01

A8 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Local KALAMAZOO

AUGUSTA

City Commission candidate touts her experience in activism

Hummingbird banding demonstrated

By Alex Mitchell

For MLive.com

Knott said, she worked with members of Congress, the state legislature, and Douglas neighborhood volunteers across the state. resident Erin Knott has Knott said she’d like to announced she will seek a seat on the Kalamazoo City use the skills gained from these positions to impact Commission in the Nov. 3 Kalamazoo. election. “Getting involved civiKnott, 40, is the Michigan director of Enroll cally is important to me as I train grassroots activists America, a national nonprofit that each day to share their skills and talents in their works own neighborhoods or to maxicommunities,” Knott said. mize the number of “It is time that I, too, take this step and do more localU.S. citily to shape public policy.” zens who Knott said she began her receive career health as the crime prevenKnott care under tion specialist for the Vine Neighborhood Association the Affordable Care Act. and spent eight years She previously served with the Local Initiatives as the Michigan political director for America Votes Support Coalition, where she said she worked to conand as deputy director for nect residents, business Michigan Citizen Action, owners and community according to a news stakeholders with resourcrelease issued by Knott. es to revitalize the city’s During her time with urban neighborhoods. Michigan Citizen Action, amitche5@mlive.com

“Kalamazoo’s neighborhoods are what make our community a special place to call home,” she said. “If elected to the city commission, I will prioritize their unique heritage while strengthening them for generations to come. Our families spend the majority of their time in our neighborhoods, and that’s where the city should focus investments.” Commissioners are elected on an at-large, nonpartisan basis. Due to the recent charter changes, the top three finishers Nov. 3 will serve four-year terms and the next three finishers will serve two-year terms. Starting with the 2017 election, all terms will be for four years. The highest vote-getter amongst candidates seeking to become city commissioners will become vice mayor.

The W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary will present a family program on banding hummingbirds. On July 28 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., nets will be set up and Rich and Brenda Keith from the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory will be safely catching rubythroated hummingbirds to demonstrate banding. The cost for members is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (62 and older) and college students and $3 for children. Nonmembers will pay $7 for adults, $6 for seniors/ college students and $5 for children. The sanctuary is at 12685 East C Ave. in Augusta, a mile north of M-89 and just west of 40th Street. — Submitted by Sarah Carroll

Events Calendar August 2015 125th Anniversary Fact

Sister Mary Raphael O’Brien, MD (Father O’Brien’s sister), was not only one of the attending physicians at Borgess Hospital, but was also placed in charge of the St. Camillus School of Nursing, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph seven years after Borgess opened.

Borgess Events Newborn Care From Nose To Toes

A complete head-to-toe look at how to care for your little one that provides you with some hands-on experience. Topics include bathing and diapering, safety issues and infant stimulation. Borgess at Woodbridge Hills – South Monday, August 3, 6 to 9 p.m. $28/couple. Registration required. Please call (269) 226.8135 or (800) 828.8135 or visit wellness.borgess.com to register. Bariatric Surgery Seminar

For those considering bariatric surgery. Borgess Medical Center Saturday, August 8, 10 a.m. to Noon Wednesday, August 12, 6 to 8 p.m. Free. Registration required. Call (269) 226.6863 to register or visit bariatrics.borgess.com to watch our online bariatric seminar. Prepare for Birth—Wonderfully Made

This Christ-centered course adds a spiritual approach to childbirth. It provides a detailed look at labor, delivery, and early recovery period. Borgess at Woodbridge Hills – North Monday & Wednesday, August 24-September 2, 6 to 9 p.m. $55/couple. Registration required. Call (269) 226.8135 or (800) 828.8135 or visit wellness.borgess.com to register. Sports Physicals

Get sports physicals done before the Fall school sports season. Evening and weekend appointments available by request. ProMed Pediatrics Portage (269) 329.0944 Richland (269) 552.2500 Mattawan (269) 668.4180 For a complete list and further information about what Borgess has to offer, please visit wellness.borgess.com. Want the latest classes, events and health screenings sent directly to your inbox? You can also sign up for the Borgess Bulletin e-newsletter there as well.

Borgess Health & Fitness Center Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers

This class teaches the fundamentals of adult and pediatric CPR, including AED and special resuscitation situations. Students receive a credential card upon completion. Borgess Health & Fitness Center Wednesday, August 5 or September 2, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. $50. Registration required. Call (269) 226.8135 or (800) 828.8135 or visit wellness.borgess.com. Bariatric Cooking Class

The Borgess Bariatric Surgery Program offers this free cooking class to help patients make good food choices, and achieve balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Borgess Health & Fitness Center Tuesday, August 11, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Free. Registration required. Call (269) 226.8135 or (800) 828.8135 or visit wellness.borgess.com to register. Adult & Pediatric CPR and AED

A credentialed AHA Heartsaver course for the general lay responder, this course teaches adult, child and infant CPR, AED, relief of choking and safety. Skills examination given. For ages 12+. Borgess Health & Fitness Center Wednesday, August 12, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. $45. Registration required. Call (269) 226.8135 or (800) 828.8135 or visit wellness.borgess.com.

Coupon Code:

COUPON FOR IN STORES OR ONLINE USE!

Coupon

e Item at Regular Pric e On

Offer good for one item at regular price only. Limit one coupon per customer per day. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Offer is not valid with any other coupon, discount or previous purchase. Excludes Heidi Swapp™ Minc.™ Foil Applicator, CRICUT® products, Tim Holtz® Vagabond™ Machine, Silhouette CAMEO® Machine, candy & snack products, gum & mints, helium tanks, gift cards, custom orders, special orders, labor, rentals and class fees. A single cut of fabric or trim “by the yard”equals one item. Online fabric & trim discount is limited to 10 yards, single cut.

For a complete list and further information about classes at Borgess Health & Fitness Center, visit ﬁtness.borgess.com.

Cash Value 1/10¢.

$ A member of Ascension Health®

7337172-03

7329603-03

KALAMAZOO GAZETTE / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / A9

Local

Theresa Petto, 43, is charged with three counts of felony ﬁrearm use and one count each of open murder, felony murder and attempted unlawful imprisonment in Rachel Drafta’s killing. (Mark Bugnaski/MLive.com)

PORTAGE

Rev. Ginny Mikita, middle, ofﬁciates the wedding of Monty Hutchison, left, and Benjamin David Hutchison at the County Courthouse in Cassopolis on Friday. Benjamin David Hutchison was forced to resign his post as a United Methodist Church minister this week because he had a partner. (Crystal Vander Weit/MLive.com)

CASSOPOLIS

Gay pastor who lost church married on courthouse steps By Emily Monacelli

emonacel@mlive.com

An openly gay United Methodist pastor said his “I Dos” in front of more than 30 clergy members and 100 guests Friday, days after he was forced to resign for having a partner. The Rev. Benjamin Hutchison married his partner, Monty Hutchison, in a ceremony on the steps of the historic Cass County Courthouse. “Walking around the courthouse and seeing all the support, seeing all clergy there gathered standing there saying that they support it, they’re not opposed to it, it really was a blessing today,” Hutchison said. Hutchison, 31, resigned Monday from his position as senior pastor at Cassopolis United Methodist Church, where he had worked since January 2013, after the bishop’s office received a report he had a gay partner. Hutchison said he would have been fired had he not resigned. Hutchison said it had been wellknown and accepted in the congregation that he is gay, and he even had legally changed his last name to Hutchison, his partner’s last name, in February 2013. He said he understood when he took the job it might be difficult for the congregation, and he understood it was against the United Methodist discipline. The church accepts members who are gay, but its Books of Discipline states “ ... self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.” The confrontation and Hutchison’s resignation came as a blow to the congregation. Parishioners say Hutchison turned the Cassopolis United Methodist Church from one that was dying into one that was gaining members. Hutchison said the church now has more than 140 members in its

Surrounded by community supporters, Benjamin Hutchison, left, and Monty Hutchison, right, walk up to the Cass County Courthouse in Cassopolis before taking their wedding vows Friday. (Crystal Vander Weit/MLive.com)

directory and it recently has become financially solvent. Pastor Mark Thompson, of Faith United Methodist Church in Grand Rapids, officiated the ceremony with Ginny Mikita, a candidate for ordination within the United Methodist Church. “I believe that Benjamin and Monty are very much in love, and they deserve to be married and to celebrate the gift of love that God gave them,” Thompson said. Mikita said the United Methodist Church’s disapproval of gay marriage has been her greatest stumbling block for continuing her candidacy. But, Mikita said, she felt the day was one of celebration and rejoicing. Mikita said it was critical for Hutchison to have support for his ceremony Friday. “I believe that there is a swell of support that already exists within the denomination,” she said. Rich First, a Stevensville resident who attended Hutchison’s ceremony, credited Hutchison with pulling him out of his depression. “I was very depressed, and one meeting with this pastor brought (me) out of depression so far that I started coming (to the church),” First said. “You would not believe the abil-

Rev. Mark Thompson ofﬁciates the wedding of Benjamin and Monty Hutchison on Friday. (Crystal Vander Weit/MLive.com)

ity that this pastor has to make the whole church cry, laugh, rejoice, you name it. I haven’t been to church for 30 years, and one afternoon with him changed that. I knew he was gay, and the church knew, too.” The Methodist Church has released a statement to media stating it will not comment on personnel matters such as Hutchison’s. Hutchison said he sees some change happening within the church, but would like to see more. “I want the church to change,” Hutchison said. “I believe the congregation, specifically in Cassopolis and Southwest Michigan and the Chicago area, has changed. The members have changed. They understand it. My members were in full support.”

Theresa Petto charged in Rachel Drafta’s shooting Police say they found ‘kidnap bag’ on suspect, that she planned to imprison, kill victim By Aaron Mueller

amuelle1@mlive.com

When police arrested Theresa Petto outside of a home on Old Mission Street just a few houses down the road from where she allegedly shot and killed Rachel Drafta, Petto was in possession of what officers on the scene called a “kidnap bag.” When police were dispatched to the shooting scene, they were able to find Petto within minutes, dashcam video of the incident shows. As they placed her in handcuffs, Petto can be heard saying, “I was just asking for a ride.” But when officers began searching through Petto’s bag, it became clear to them she wasn’t there for a ride. “Dude, this is like a kidnap bag. She’s got zip ties, duct tape, rubber gloves, garbage bags,” an officer can be heard saying on the dashcam video obtained from Portage Department of Public Safety through the Freedom of Information Act. During the investigation, police searched Petto’s apartment in Hastings, as well as her Jeep, and found “hand-written notes and other evidence which indicated that she was intending to unlawfully imprison or kidnap Drafta and then kill her,” according to testimony from Detective Brett Stapert in securing an arrest warrant for Petto. Petto, 43, later was charged with three counts of felony firearm use and one count each of open murder, felony murder and attempted unlawful imprisonment in connection with the shooting. Police allege Petto shot Drafta in the head June 24 in the driveway of Drafta’s home, at 2988 French Bay Drive in Portage. Drafta died June 29 at Bronson Methodist Hospital. In an interview with police that can be heard in the dashcam video, the owner of the house where Petto was arrested said Petto knocked on his door and said someone had been hurt down the street. Petto then started wandering around the house, the homeowner said. Minutes later, after Petto had exited the home, police arrived at the home and arrested her. Police have said Petto was angry with Drafta because Drafta had been dating Petto’s former boyfriend. Last week, Petto waived her right to a preliminary examination hearing in Kalamazoo County District Court, and her case has been bound over for trial in circuit court.

VIDEO To see the video of Theresa Petto’s arrest, go to bit.ly/PettoArrest

Bronson at Home

Hospice Butterﬂy Release Release a butterﬂy to honor the special people that have been a part of our lives.

Saturday, Aug. 22, 10:30 a.m. Fish Hatchery Park 1011 W. Green St. Hastings, MI 49058 To purchase a butterﬂy or for more information call (269) 245-3720 or visit bronsonhealth.com/butterﬂy.

YOUR BUSINESS MATTERS: CONSUMERSENERGY.COM/SMARTENERGY

7352389-02

7285781-03

Saturday, July 25, 10:30 a.m. Calhoun Area Tech Center 475 E. Roosevelt Ave. Battle Creek, MI 49037

A10 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Local KALAMAZOO

KALAMAZOO

Man denied medical help after police broke his leg, lawsuit claims By Rex Hall Jr.

believed to be Palk drove past the house. She later returned with a male offiA federal lawsuit says cer believed to be Ulman Kalamazoo police officers and asked Lanier to come roughed up a man during to a nearby sidewalk. a 2014 arrest and broke After a short converhis leg. To make matters worse, sation, Palk told Lanier he was being arrested, according to the 18-page prompting Lanier to do complaint, filed June 24 “exactly as Palk instructed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, the officers, him to do” and put his left arm out in front of him, as well as deputies at the according to the lawsuit. Kalamazoo County Jail, After Lanier was in handrefused to take Earnest cuffs, the complaint alleges Lanier to a hospital so his Ulman began yelling at injury could be treated. Lanier to get on the ground Lanier and his attorand unsnapped his holster ney, Michael A. Roth, of “as if he was going for his Kalamazoo, are seeking more than $25,000 in dam- gun.” After the commands, ages and claim the actions Palk raised Lanier’s cuffed by police violated Lanier’s wrists, forcing him to lean constitutional rights. forward, at which point The lawsuit names Ulman jumped on Lanier’s the city of Kalamazoo, back and tried to put an Kalamazoo County, the arm around Lanier’s county sheriff’s office, throat. Sheriff Richard Fuller, the The lawsuit says Palk Kalamazoo Department attempted several leg of Public Safety and KDPS sweeps to force Lanier to officers Laurel Palk and Benjamin Ulman as defen- the ground. The next thing Lanier recalls, according dants. to the lawsuit, “was being The allegations stem on the ground with his face from Lanier’s June 17, in the gravel with Ulman 2014, arrest on Paterson still on top of him.” It says Street in Kalamazoo. The lawsuit initially was filed in Ulman eventually got off Kalamazoo County Circuit Lanier, but the officers left him on the ground for as Court on June 4 but was long as 10 minutes before moved June 24 to federal helping him to his feet. court, where it has been The incident left Lanier assigned to U.S. District in “great pain,” and he soon Judge Janet T. Neff. realized he had a broken Attorneys for the city leg, the lawsuit claims. of Kalamazoo, KDPS and After what the suit Palk and Ulman have describes as “cursory filed an answer in which exam” by emergency they say Lanier’s claims medical technicians, Palk, are meritless. Assistant Ulman and Lanier were City Attorney Richard told Lanier’s leg was O. Cherry said in a July sprained. 1 filing that Palk and Lanier, though, says he Ulman did not use excestold the officers his leg sive force against Lanier, was broken and that they and the steps they took “implied” they were going were prompted by Lanier resisting arrest for alleged to take him to a hospital for treatment. domestic violence. Instead, the lawsuit says, Meanwhile, attorneys the officers took Lanier for the county, Fuller and the sheriff’s office contend to the county jail, where his repeated requests for Lanier’s constitutional medical help were ignored rights were not violated but neither admit nor deny while he was held for 38 hours. the version of events put Later, the lawsuit says, forth by Lanier and his a Kalamazoo County attorney as to his treatDistrict Court judge ment in the jail, saying released Lanier from jail they have insufficient on his own recognizance information. so he could seek mediALLEGED REQUESTS FOR cal treatment. A doctor TREATMENT IGNORED at Bronson Methodist Hospital examined Lanier Lanier’s lawsuit says and told him he needed to he was on a porch at 1216 have emergency surgery Paterson the day of his once swelling in his leg had arrest when a female subsided, the complaint Public Safety officer rhall2@mlive.com

says. Two weeks later, the surgery was performed, it says. DIFFERENT VERSION OF EVENTS

The answer filed by Cherry presents a much different version of Lanier’s arrest. The answer says Lanier was uncooperative with the two officers and that Palk initially did not put Lanier’s hands behind his back or place handcuffs on him. It also says Ulman never yelled at Lanier, jumped on his back or placed an arm around Lanier’s throat. Instead, the city says Palk “used reasonable force” and tried several leg sweeps to bring Lanier to ground after he resisted arrest. The city says Ulman got off Lanier after he was taken to the ground but denies the officers left him on the ground for as long as 10 minutes before helping him to his feet. The city’s answer admits EMTs told Lanier and the officers that Lanier had a sprained leg but denies Lanier ever told the officers his leg was broken or that the officers implied that they were going to take him to a hospital. Instead, the answer contends that Lanier was never taken to a hospital “because Plaintiff refused medical attention.” Lanier’s lawsuit claims Palk and Ulman committed an assault and battery during the arrest. It also claims Lanier’s constitutional rights were violated and that he is the victim of gross negligence and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Attorneys for the city and county denied those allegations. Attorney Andrew J. Brege, who is representing the county, said Lanier and his attorney have not presented sufficient facts to support a claim for liability on the part of the county. Meanwhile, Cherry contended the conduct of Palk and Ulman was “objectively reasonable” and did not violate Lanier’s constitutional rights. He said the officers, as well as the city and KDPS, are entitled to a defense of qualified immunity.

Queen of ‘survivor bees’ thriving in new home A 10-year-old hive of more than 40,000 bees was carefully removed from student housing July 1 at Kalamazoo College. The bees have been relocated. (Rosemary

By Rosemary Parker rparker3@mlive.com

The queen bee indeed was among the 40,000 bees sucked out of a yearsold hive of honeybees on Kalamazoo College’s campus, Schoolcraft beekeeper Charlotte Hubbard told the college in an update. Earlier this month, Hubbard and her team were asked to extract the bees from under the eaves at an older building at 1308 W. Lovell St., one of the Grove Living Learning Houses. The project took three days. “The bees seem quite happy in their new home,” Hubbard told Jeff Palmer, associate director of communication for Kalamazoo

Parker/MLive.com)

College, via email Thursday. “We got not only survivor stock drones to mate with any queens local to our area, but we got the queen,” she said. Beekeepers prize the genetics of “survivor bees” that have demonstrated the ability to make it through Michigan winters. The beekeepers removed

the bees by gently vacuuming them into a container for transport. Per beekeepers’ tradition, the hive from the college has been named for the person who called and asked for the extraction — in this case, “Marcie,” named for Marcie Weathers, the college’s administrative and custodial services manager.

Are you or someone you know affected by

Multiple Myeloma? Join us for a live multiple myeloma educational event, where you can: » Learn about multiple myeloma. » Ask a medical specialist questions. » Connect with others affected by multiple myeloma in your community. » Hear the story of a person living with multiple myeloma.

Call 1.866.508.6181 to register today Location:

Time:

Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center 100 W Michigan Ave. Kalamzoo, MI 49007

Thursday, July 30, 2015 Check-in: 6:00 PM Program Start: 6:30 PM

Featuring: Sreenivasa Chandana, M.D. West Michigan Cancer Center Jan, living with multiple myeloma

Complimentary Parking & refreshments provided. ADA compliant. Guests welcome!

MILLENNIUM and are registered trademarks of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Cambridge, MA 02139 Copyright © 2014, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA NPS-14-0289 9/14 7347375-01

2015 Summer Music Festival Concerts start at 7:30 pm

07/21 NEAVE TRIO

Wellspring Theater, Epic Center

07/23 CATALYST QUARTET

Kalamazoo Nature Center

07/25 OCCIDENTAL GYPSY

Williams Theatre, WMU

fontanamusic.org | 269/382-7774 | kalamazoo 7355263-02

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo: Cleaning crew

Lending Hands of Michigan: Clean equipment Love in the Name of Christ of Kalamazoo County: Journey Forward Ministry with Community: Breakfast servers, building & area beautiﬁcation volunteers, lunchtime servers MSU W.K. Kellogg Biological Station: Bird care

Cheﬀ Therapeutic Riding Center: Barn assistant

Oakwood Neighborhood Association: Park/lawn maintenance volunteer

Douglass Community Association: Janitorial support

The Salvation Army: Custodial/ maintenance assistant

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Michigan: Donation attendant, ﬁtting room attendant, store assistant

Senior Services of Southwest Michigan: chore/handy helper services — Calhoun County, chore/handy helper services Kalamazoo County

Housing Resources Inc.: Holiday activity volunteers for the Rickman House Kalamazoo Gospel Mission: Light cleaning volunteer

Sunnyside United Methodist Church: Kalamazoo Free Store, retail aupport, Kalamazoo Free Store aorters, Loaves & Fishes distribution volunteer

Kalamazoo Peace Center: Peacemaker

West Michigan Glass Arts Center: Glass Art Center volunteers

Memory Care – Vibrant living – creating meaningful moments every day.

For Pat, it’s the details that make Memory Care at Heritage Community so unique. People sleep in till they’re ready to get up, the chefs create options for fi each meal and Pat designs a weekly routine so residents can find comfort in the regularity of their schedules. When Pat maps out the monthly calendar, she plans activities around each resident doing something special that they enjoy. She also includes each family in the experiences of their loved one by writing email updates of what she and her friends have been up to.

2300 Portage St., Kalamazoo • 269-226-6321 • www.heritagecommunity.com

7215582-03

VOLUNTEER KALAMAZOO Cleaning can be one of the easiest ways to volunteer your time. It doesn’t require a large time commitment and can be a great way to learn more about a nonproﬁt in your community. The following list of opportunities will help you get started. For information about these and hundreds of other volunteer opportunities, contact Volunteer Kalamazoo, volunteerkalamazoo.org, 269382-8350.

KALAMAZOO GAZETTE / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / A11

Local PORTAGE

Portage native Blake Whyte returns for unique park concert Saturday By Tom Haroldson

kznews@mlive.com

On his website, singer, songwriter and actor Blake Whyte is “a proud native of Portage,” and that’s just one reason why he will be returning to his hometown for a concert Saturday. The 2000 graduate of Portage Central High, who has performed on Broadway and cut an album and a new single, will perform with his band in a free concert at the new Eliason Nature Reserve. The Hike in the Woods invites hikers to take a 20or 40-minute walk in the park beginning at 3 p.m., and then see the concert at 4 p.m. Whyte has performed in shows like “Mamma Mia!” and “Wicked!” but has focused on his music the past two years. “Portage had a lot to do with where I am now. I really just wanted to share with the community. ... It was a great place to grow up.” He is also a “nature boy at heart.” He is working with the Portage parks department to perform the free show at the Eliason Nature Reserve, a 123-acre property at 9501 Shaver Road. It opened in 2013 on a limited basis, with a partially paved trail and an unpaved footpath. Sometime this year, a 1.6mile path will be paved. The concert will be in a cleared area accessible by the park trail. “I’m a huge nature person,” said Whyte. “I just wanted to connect nature and music. I really wanted to combine both.” In 2013, Whyte and his band debuted “More Like Myself,” a 14-track record that Whyte describes as soulful and positive, and received good reviews. He recently released a new single, “Let Me Fly,” and produced and played in his own music festival in collaboration with six choreographers, a string quartet and jazz sextet. The “unique fusion of music and dance” was performed at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. A piano player, he has headlined more than 45 gigs in New York City, including at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza, Rockwood Music Hall and The Cutting Room, and has also performed in Nashville and Los Angeles. Last summer, he was chosen to be a part of the Johnny Mercer Songwriting Program at Northwestern University and the Joffrey Ballet’s first Composer and Choreographer Showcase. “I spent the last nine years as a working actor, mostly in New York, and right now I am mostly into the music,” he said. “As an actor, I was always encountering other peoples’ canvases. I definitely had a craving the last four to five years to paint my own canvases with music.” Thanks to a sponsorship, Whyte will bring several members of his band and will be joined by some Kalamazoo-area talent for IF YOU GO

FREE CONCERT AT NATURE RESERVE New York actor and musician Blake Whyte, a Portage native, will perform in a free show. When: 4 p.m. Saturday Where: Eliason Nature Reserve in Portage. What to know: Bring your own chairs and water bottles, and be prepared for at least a 20-minute hike to the concert spot.

Blake Whyte will return home to perform Saturday. (Submitted photo)

the one-hour concert in the woods. “They are fantastic musicians,” he said. “The idea is to involve some local people, too. We’re really excited about it.” For the 20-minute hike, park near the entrance

of the park on Portage Industrial Drive, with parking available at the nearby BASIC company, 9246 Portage Industrial Drive. For the 40-minute hike, park at South Westnedge Park, 9010 S. Westnedge Ave. Hikers should bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating and water bottles, with a water refilling station available at the park. For more information about the concert, call the parks department at 3294522. For more information about Whyte, go to www. blakewhyte.com.

SUMMER SALE Save up to 25%

on selected Mens and Womens sportswear from all our great brands. Big savings on last years ski and snowboard wear for men, women, and kids.

Now 50% - 60% OFF! 311 W. Kilgore Rd. Portage Mi. 49002 269 381 7700 • LeesAdventureSports.com

7323364-04

EVERY PULL IS A

WINNER , UP TO $ 1,000! THURSDAY, JULY 9 & 23 | 2PM – 9PM

The My Th Myst sster ter ter ery B Boox ox co cont ntai ains ns up to to $1 1,,000 000, 00 0, a d al an allll yyoou hhaavee to do do is re reac reac ach in ach in and nd gra rab iitt. rab Earn Ea rn 20000 poi oinntts fo oint for a ch chan anccee at th the My Myst stery er y er Cash Ca sh — you ou’rre a w wiinn nner er, guar guuaarrran aanntee tteeed ed!

US 131 EExitit 61 7347044-04

7329783-01

A12 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

www.NutrimostMI.com n o i t a c o L *Complete details of guarantee can be seen upon request or in a clinic prior to sale. New ortage! in P

6749 S. Westnedge | Portage | In the Target Plaza across from Crossroads Mall 7354949-01

For the latest breaking news, go to mlive.com

Opinion

SECTION

Share your opinions

Letters to the Editor, Kalamazoo Gazette, 300 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo MI 49007. Send email to: kzletters@mlive.com

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

EDITORIAL

ALUMNI FOOTBALL TOO RISKY

Skubick

Pipeline under Straits is safe ... maybe? / B2

Braun A path to political peace on g gayy rights p g / B2

Cartoons Cybersecurity, Harper Lee and Hillary / B3

Perspectives

So many 2016 hopefuls, so much time to go / B4 Lincoln Chafee n a:

Lindsey Graham

ce/Q&A

Martin O’Malley George Pataki Rick Santorum Mike Huckabee Ben Carson Carly Fiorina

Bernie Sanders* arco Rubio m Clinton d Paul

Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board

Full-contact football is not a sport easily replicated recreationally. Unless a player is good enough for college, he generally will play his last game during his senior year of high school. So it’s easy to understand the allure of putting on pads again, practicing for a few weeks and taking on your old rival in an alumni football game. Alumni football games have gained popularity in Southwest Michigan, often played as fundraisers on school property, complete with cheering fans, dance teams and concessionstand popcorn. Players and coaches have acknowledged over the years, even joked, that it can be a dangerous endeavor. There’s a risk involved when grown men of wide-ranging ages and athletic abilities attempt to recreate the game of their youth, sometimes with scores to settle or something to prove. But it’s a risk much bigger than a sprained ankle, a concussion or other bumps and bruises that can be remedied with a bottle of ibuprofen. On July 4, a devastating neck injury during the Constantine vs. White Pigeon alumni game brought into sharp focus just how dangerous these games can be. Are they worth it? Looking at the long battle the injured player has ahead of him to regain the use of his limbs, we’d have to say no. His injury has at least a few schools — Centreville and White Pigeon included — rethinking their involvement in the games, and we’re glad to hear that. We call on school districts to discourage these games by banning them from being held on their fields. “It’s been real successful for us, but every year you play, you raise the odds that somebody is going to get hurt,” Centreville football coach Aaron Hartong said. The potential cost — from both injury and financial liability — is simply too high for area schools to allow these games to continue.

PUBLIC SAFETY & COMMERCE

Author of Michigan ﬁreworks law holds his peace amid outcry for repeal

Making some noise

By Chad Selweski Bridge Magazine

arold Haugh sometimes feels as if he’s spent the past four years as the most hated man in Michigan. Especially around the Fourth of July. Haugh, a former state representative from Roseville, introduced the 2011 legislation that permits the sale of powerful fireworks in Michigan, a law that has generated loud criticism across much of the state. As an online petition drive to repeal the law gains momentum, agitated residents from Muskegon to Monroe say they marked another Independence Day weekend in neighborhoods that sounded like a war zone. Haugh said he has no regrets about his legislation, which legalized the sale of high-powered, high-volume fireworks previously available only across the border, in states such as Ohio and Indiana.

Powerful ﬁreworks that were illegal in Michigan until four years ago are providing a big bang for fans and bigger bucks for businesses and the state. But many residents also are complaining about excessive noise in neighborhoods and safety concerns. (MLive.com ﬁles)

The petition notes “a drastic increase in the amount and violence of private fireworks displays all over the state of Michigan, thereby endangering people, pets and property. It is not worth the additional revenue.” Michiganders’ love/hate relationship with fireworks — flocking to public displays while denouncing private use in residential areas — was reflected He noted the law achieved in the Legislature’s handling of its three stated goals: creatthe issue. The 2011 bill to libering jobs, generating new tax alize the fireworks sales passed revenue, and by margins of 97-10 and 34-1 putting vacant in the state House and Senate, buildings back respectively. to use with fireA 2013 change in the law works vendors. won by an even more-lopsided Yet Haugh margin. It put limits on displays said he to the three days surrounding remains reluc- 10 national holidays and a ban tant to talk between midnight (1 a.m. in about the leglarger cities) and 8 a.m. Haugh islation after The vendors who have benfacing an explosion of biting efited from the 2011 law assert comments — either by name the public overall is speaking or by inference — in news and with their dollars. Business is social media. booming. “My wife tells me to get over And fees collected by the it. So, I’ve moved on,” said the state from fireworks sales ex-lawmaker, who was termjumped from $674,000 in 2013 limited after 2014. to $1.9 million last year. The One of Haugh’s former most recent annual report Democratic colleagues, state shows another $600,000 was Rep. Henry Yanez, of Sterling generated last year in permit Heights, has introduced repeal fees paid by vendors. legislation, but it has yet to Fireworks retailers must receive a committee hearing. pay an annual certificate fee The online petition to repeal — $1,000 for permanent stores Haugh’s law, on the MoveOn. and $600 for temporary ones org website is near its goal of — and collect a 6 percent fire25,000 signatures. At that point, works “safety fee” on all sales. it would be presented to the The revenue serves as a state House and Senate for strong incentive for pro-busiconsideration. ness lawmakers to keep the

statute in place. Haugh said he will play no role in future debates but suggests local officials and legislators who call for repeal face an uphill climb. “If they can get the votes, God bless ‘em,” said Haugh, who is now a political consultant. “Those that don’t like fireworks will always have their opinion. But the bottom line is that we’ve had those fireworks for years and years.” Yet, even with the restrictions on displays, local officials say that police do not have the manpower to fully enforce the current law. As for safety concerns, the fireworks industry that lobbies for keeping the law argues many injuries and deaths are due to a lack of “common sense” by reckless users and that alcohol is often a factor. One case of apparent recklessness unfolded June 28, when an Oakland County man died after holding a large commercial-grade mortar shell next to his head just as it exploded. Haugh noted that in 2013, even tighter restrictions were proposed in the Legislature, including municipal bans on all commercial-grade fireworks, but were defeated. Perhaps the untold irony is that Haugh has never lit a fuse, not even on a tiny firecracker or bottle rocket. His wife loathes fireworks. Yet, he can’t seem to shake the reputation of a pyromaniac politician. “Like I said,” he explained, “I’ve moved on. I’m focused on something else.”

THE NUMBERS BOOMING BUSINESS Key statistics related to the 2011 Fireworks Safety Act

850

Estimated ﬁreworks retailers statewide, including 650 temporary sellers and 200 brickand-mortar stores.

279

Retailer violations cited by the state Bureau of Fire Services in summer 2014. Most common were lack of a certiﬁcate, lack of insurance and failure to collect safety fees.

$8.9 million

Increase in ﬁreworks sales from $17.5 million in 2013 to $26.4 million in 2014.

Straight years the Fire Services bureau’s training and enforcement fund has operated at a loss. In 2014, it was about $937,000. Sources: MLive.com, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Copyright Bridge Magazine, reprinted with permission. — Bridge Magazine, a publication of The Center for Michigan, produces nonprofit public affairs journalism and is a partner with MLive.

KALAMAZOO GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD Mickey Ciokajlo/Editor mciokajl@mlive.com

Tammy Mills/Community Engagement Specialist tmills1@mlive.com

Ed Finnerty/Managing producer eﬁnnert@mlive.com

B2 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Opinion GUEST COLUMN

FIRST PERSON

Michgan exporters need this to bank on

A city stayed to make sure I finished the run

By U.S. Sen. Gary Peters

ast month, I had the opportunity to visit Mill Steel Co. in Grand Rapids, one of hundreds of businesses that work with the Export-Import Bank of the United States to export their made-in-Michigan products across the globe. Mill Steel is one of North America’s premier flat-rolled steel suppliers. It’s also a family-owned business that strives to reinvest in the community by making Michigan products and hiring Michigan workers. By partnering with the Ex-Im Bank to secure loan guarantees, Mill Steel has been able to sell to auto suppliers in Canada and continue to hire and provide good-paying jobs. But last month, a small, extreme partisan minority in Congress allowed the charter for the Ex-Im Bank to expire, risking billions of dollars in U.S. exports and hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and putting America’s small businesses at a disadvantage in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Over its 81-year history, the Ex-Im Bank has enabled American companies to sell in foreign markets and grow their businesses by offering direct loans, working with private lenders to fill gaps in financing and providing insurance to help businesses protect their bottom lines if a foreign buyer fails to pay. Simply put, the Ex-Im Bank helps close deals that would never happen without its support. Most importantly, the Ex-Im Bank does all this while turning a profit for taxpayers. In 2014 alone, it contributed a $675 million surplus to reduce the federal deficit. The Ex-Im Bank also helps level the playing field for American companies in a tough global market. Last year, it supported more than $27.4 billion in exports and 164,000 jobs. More than $10 billion of that total — nearly 40 percent — represented exports by small businesses. Critics charge that the Ex-Im Bank supports corporate welfare, but 90 percent of its overall transactions directly supported small businesses. In Michigan, the Ex-Im Bank has supported 229 businesses selling $11 billion worth of goods to places like Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Canada. Most of those companies are manufacturers of motor vehicles and parts, machinery and chemicals — the backbone of the state economy. Renewing Ex-Im Bank’s charter is especially critical as Michigan manufacturers compete with countries using extreme and unfair measures, such as direct subsidies or currency manipulation. Many of our competitors, including China, Japan, South Korea, Canada and Germany, use their own export credit agencies to boost manufacturers. China provided more financing through its agency in the past two years than our Ex-Im Bank has in its history. The Ex-Im Bank has broad bipartisan support in Congress, as well as from organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Small Business Association and the National Association of Manufacturers. Congress should focus on growing our economy and creating American jobs, and the Export-Import Bank is key to that mission. Congress must act now to renew its charter and help secure Michigan’s economic competitiveness, grow our economy and strengthen our middle class. — Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, represents Michigan in the U.S. Senate.

on their front porches and hollered words of encouragement. Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t alone. Over the last two miles, a volunteer with her cowbell cheered. You would have thought I was bringing the Olympic torch in! Finally, I saw the finish line. I By Aleta Gorter wanted to drop to my knees and cry. Every volunteer had stayed. ome of you may know me as No one had left me behind. “the last one that finished.” Muskegon made me feel like the But I finished. And it is all luckiest girl in the world. because of you guys. So, I want to thank everyone. I am originally from Everyone who volunteered, who Muskegon, but have spent the stayed and cheered me on, giving majority of my life in Louisville, me encouragement. Those that Kentucky. This was my fifth halfwanted me to finish even when I marathon. didn’t think I had it in me. I always register as a walker And thank you to the lady who due to a foot injury. Usually, held out my medal. Thank you to there are thousands of runners Aleta Gorter at run’s end. (Submitted photo) the boy who proudly gave me a and walkers at the half-marabottle of water. Thank you to the thons, so I felt quite embarrassed volunteer who kept the popsiwished they were somewhere ish line had already been taken being one of only a few walkers cles, yogurt, and granola bars out down. I felt very alone not having else. at the Seaway Run. for me. Thank you to the DJ who But, if that was the case, they any fellow participants with me. I kept thinking: “Man, I am turned up the music, announced never let on. At each mile, I About halfway through, two holding everyone up. Everyone would come across the water sta- my name and made me feel like a volunteers in a golf cart guided could be at home doing other tions. The volunteers had stayed million bucks. me in. I felt horrible for them things right now.” Muskegon, you are simply the and were cheering. as they crept along at 4 mph My motivation deteriorated There were neighbors who sat best. for seven miles. I was sure they quickly. I was convinced the finEditor’s note: Muskegon native Aleta Gorter, who now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, returned to her hometown to participate in the Mercy Health Seaway Run on June 27. She wrote this open letter to the Seaway Run committee and the Muskegon community:

Tim Skubick

skubickt@aol.com

Beginning of the start of the end for Straits pipeline?

f you were a critic of the state attorney general and you watched his performance the other day regarding the safety of a controversial pipeline in the Great Lakes, you would have sworn he was auditioning for a slot on “Dancing with the Stars.” On one of the more pointed questions, he deftly danced around it.

Question: Is the Enbridge pipeline 5 under the Straits of Mackinac safe? Mr. Schuette: “The pipeline is safer today because of these recommendations.” But as they used to say on the old Johnny Carson show, “How safe is it? A tad more circumspect was the guy sitting next to Bill Schuette. Dan Wyant, the guy charged by the governor with protecting the environment, confessed, “I need

to know more” before he could answer the safety inquiry, adding, “The pipeline has operated without incident for 61 years, but we need to ask for more and to know more to insure that we don’t have a problem going forward.” There was more than a hint of concern in that response, and many of the greens in town argue justifiably so. They fear the line could blow at any minute. Mr. Schuette and Mr. Wyant

Ken Braun

braun.ken@gmail.com

Let’s have a truce on marriage ban vs. gay rights

n June 26, Michigan’s constitutional ban on gay marriage, enacted by voters less than a decade ago to “preserve the benefits of marriage for our society and for future generations,” became an unenforceable ink blot when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it. It will never live up to that puffery about hanging around. It didn’t last one generation.

But future generations might see the words, because the Michigan Constitution isn’t easy to change. It requires a vote of the people, and making the ballot requires either a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature or a very expensive

signature gathering process. Sometimes it pays to think things through before reaching for the permanent markers. How long might those words remain? Five years? 15? 50? A half-century ago, politicians in South Carolina responded to

called in the media to unveil a yearlong look-see, or as Mr. Schuette put it, “extensive information gathering” on the safety question. The lead recommendation was to “prevent the transportation of heavy crude oil through the Straits pipelines.” At first blush, you might conclude the duo agreed with the pipeline opponents that the line should be shut down. In fact, Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, at first thought just that. It sounds like a bold move, but under cross examination Mr. Wyant revealed that the company has never poured heavy crude into the line to begin with. And the company confirms it never has and never will. (It’s known that heavy crude is significantly more difficult to clean up than the lighter crude that does flow through the pipe today.) So the critics contend instead of a bold protection move, the recommendation was really a bit of “creative phraseology,” as Mr. Irwin put it. He goes on, “That first recommendation is very disappointing because they propose to do absolutely nothing.” Not true, protests the A.G. He contends, “We’re making sure with additional safety precautions that it doesn’t happen.” In the biz they call that being proactive. Plus, he says, he had inside intel suggesting an oil company just might push heavy crude in the line in the future. Based on the line of critical questioning in the news confer-

another rapidly evolving civil rights landscape by hoisting a Confederate flag on the grounds of their state capitol. If that generation had truly cared about those that followed, it would have pulled that flag back down soon after it went up. If the Michigan Constitution’s gay marriage ban stays on the books for as long as that flag has flown, it too will reek of historical embarrassment. The Republicans controlling the Michigan Legislature don’t appear ready to beat the historical clock. State Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, is renewing his effort to pass a Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Supporters frequently point to a baker in Oregon who ran afoul of state anti-discrimination law upon refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. However real (yet rare) such threats may be, supporters of an RFRA are often ignorant of the problem they brought upon themselves. Ten years ago, many of these same agitators enacted a constitutional amendment that showed no regard for the freedom of anyone whose religion (or lack thereof) permitted a same sex union. Now they’re appealing for protection from a discriminatory backlash. Gov. Rick Snyder has said he

ence, the A.G.’s office may have decided it needed a pre-emptive strike so later in the day, Mr. Schuette’s guys offered up positive comments from the National Wildlife Federation and the Michigan Environmental Council which credits the report with going “a long way toward safeguarding the Great Lakes.” As noted, it took more than year to compile the 63-page document, but yet one of the recommendations was to “obtain additional information from Enbridge.” What kind of stuff? Mr. Wyant reports that the company cooperated, but did not cough up data on inspection reports among other items. Mr. Schuette suggested eventually the state would get the info. There is no question that both of these long-serving public servants grasp the gravity of a potential leak or rupture, which is why they will entertain alternative routes for the oil, which pleases the environmental lobby. In fact the A.G. hinted the days of the pipeline may be numbered. But rest assured whatever the number is, it won’t be small enough for the anti-pipeline folks.

SEE IT NOW MLive political columnist Tim Skubick is host of “Off the Record” on WKAR-TV in East Lansing. See “Off the Record” anytime at video.wkar.org.

will not sign a religious objection bill unless lawmakers also amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate against gay job seekers and customers. But many supporters of the RFRA believe expanding ElliottLarsen will lead directly to the freedom of association concern at the heart of the baker dispute. Each camp fears the other will allow widespread discrimination. But rather than fight over carving out new protections, they should declare a temporary truce. At least one Democratic proposal in the Michigan House would place a repeal of the gay marriage ban on the ballot. Republicans have the votes to make sure it receives a supermajority. Recent polling shows voters would resoundingly pass it, effectively admitting an error and erasing it. That would be healthy, and unifying, and so would the cooling-off period. Afterward, if it is still necessary to consider expanding Elliott-Larsen or passing the religious freedom bill, the ensuing debates would likely feature less heat and more light from all sides. — Ken Braun, director of policy for InformationStation.org, is an MLive columnist.

KALAMAZOO GAZETTE / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / B3

Opinion Guest Editorial

CARTOON ROUNDUP

Where Clinton fell short on policy

Her first major address on the economy didn’t pander, but it also didn’t quite give the specifics on her stands The Washington Post

Mark Gilbert

Imaginary numbers will ruin Greece deal Bloomberg View

athematicians use “imaginary numbers” for abstract concepts such as the square root of minus-1 (which, since you asked, has two answers: i and -i). The European Union seems to be using a similar trick in constructing a bailout for Greece. Unfortunately, the magic that works for arithmetic seems likely to doom the rescue efforts in Europe. Here’s a selection of the numbers that could add up to disaster for Greece.

50 BILLION EUROS

As envisaged, the bailout plan will ring-fence about $55 billion worth of Greek assets, from ports to airports to the Parthenon (I might be kidding about the Parthenon). They will be put into a special fund and sold to repay debt, recapitalize the banks and make unspecified investments to boost growth. But consider that the proceeds from the Greek privatizations already under way are set to raise a skimpy 4 billion euros. Moreover, the market capitalization of one of the nation’s best assets, the Piraeus Port

Whatever euphemism you choose over ‘Greece can’t aﬀord its repayments,’ its economy is so trashed that no one really knows just how indebted it will end up being. Authority, is about 333 million euros — down 23 percent in the past two years. “I don’t think we will proceed with real privatizations of these assets,” Greek Economy Minister George Stathakis said, adding that the holdings required to reach that sales total “obviously do not exist.” If even Greece’s economy minister doesn’t believe there’s 50 billion euros worth of family silver to backstop new loans, why should anyone else?

percent ratio that the original Maastricht Treaty set as the qualifying target for any country to be deemed economically worthy of euro membership. The issue of debt rescheduling (or reprofiling or moratorium or extension or whatever euphemism you choose over “Greece can’t afford its repayments”) is slowly coming to the fore. The truth is, Greece’s economy is so trashed that no one really knows just how indebted the nation will end up being.

200 PERCENT

2 YEARS

In the next two years, Greece’s debt will peak at 200 percent of its gross domestic product, the International Monetary Fund said. Less than a fortnight ago, the IMF’s prediction was just 170 percent. Both figures are a million miles away from the 60

That’s how long capital controls lasted in Cyprus, after it went bankrupt. Greece’s banks are still shuttered, and its people are still restricted to withdrawing 60 euros per day from ATMs. Meanwhile, the banks are running out of the collateral

they need to borrow from the European Central Bank, and will need an infusion from the European Stability Mechanism. According to the European Commission, “In the absence of support by the ESM, financial stability risks for Greece will not be manageable, and the banking sector will inevitably collapse.” Greek banks have been closed since the end of June, and it’s still anybody’s guess when they’ll be able to reopen. But, as Cyprus showed, once capital controls are in place, it’s very hard to loosen them without every last remaining euro trying to escape. 3.5 BILLION EUROS

That’s how much Greece is scheduled to repay the ECB on Monday. A month ago, if you’d asked just about anyone what the repercussions might be of Greece failing to pay, they’d have replied that it would mean the country exiting the euro. Today, it’s just another imaginary number. Greece is already in arrears to the IMF, and has missed so many deadlines that blowing past another one will hardly matter.

Guest Editorial

Walker’s style abounds, so let’s see some substance Bloomberg View

ore than most Republican contenders for the presidency, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who made his official entrance into the campaign Monday, is known for his style of politics — combative — rather than the substance of his views. He regales conservative audiences with his success in defeating public unions in his home state and surviving three tough elections. Winning elections takes political skill, and no president can succeed without that. Toughness,

though, is variable, and more complex. In an era of stagnant middle-class wages, declining unionization and soft labor markets, it’s not clear that unions posed the toughest threat to prosperity in Wisconsin. It’s also unclear how Walker’s brand of toughness applies to the presidency. He has claimed that when President Ronald Reagan broke an air-traffic controllers’ strike in 1981, it marked “the beginning of the end of the Cold War.” And he has equated his own defeat of public unions in Wisconsin with his capacity to

defeat Islamic State. It is difficult to overstate how dubious such claims are. Now that he’s officially in the contest, Walker should assume he’s already made his case on style: Granted, he’s tough. It’s time to move on to substance. His first effort should be to clarify his stand on immigration, which he has muddled by saying different things to different people at different times. A candidate for county executive might get away with that. A leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination cannot.

The same applies to Walker’s position on education standards. Walker has ample time and opportunity to make his views clear in the months ahead. For the moment, he seems intent on wooing Iowa conservatives in hopes of triumphing in the first presidential contest. As he surveys the crowded field of well-funded challengers, it may seem expedient to curry favor with archconservative Iowans. The danger is that he will back himself into an ideological corner. And that would be the opposite of tough.

here wasn’t much new in Democratic frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first major domestic policy speech in New York on Monday — and we mean that in the nicest possible way. She repeated the important but, by now, familiar point that the economy desperately needs growth that is both faster and more widely shared than the sluggish, low-wage recovery we have at present, calling this “the defining economic challenge of our time.” And then she recited the list of traditional Democratic Party policy responses: more progressive taxation, a higher minimum wage, an infrastructure bank, clean energy “investments,” equal pay for women, universal “high-quality” preschool and so on. On her most original point, that expanded profit-sharing could help align the interests of business and workers, she promised more details in a later speech. In short, it was a mainstream, liberal approach with enough detail to give voters a sense of her general direction — but not enough to pin her down to any particular politically difficult trade-off. And that was the beauty of it. Given the pressure coming from the left wing of her party, and especially the insurgent campaign of Vermont’s socialist senator, Bernie Sanders, Clinton could easily have been expected to pander to progressives — even if that meant committing herself to some of the less responsible points of their agenda. We have in mind Sanders’ call for a substantial increase in Social Security benefits or his plea for federally subsidized free tuition at state universities. She supported none of that in her speech. Of course, the lack of specifics had a downside, too. Clinton continued, maddeningly, to waffle on President Barack Obama’s trade agenda. She simultaneously bemoaned higher out-of-pocket healthcare spending and called for continuing recent progress in reducing health-care costs. Yet expanded cost sharing in employer-paid insurance — i.e., higher out-of-pocket spending by consumers — is one reason that overall expenditure growth has slowed. Meanwhile, she offered only a vague sentence or two about another defining challenge of our time: the sustainability of entitlements that are rapidly crowding out other areas of the federal budget, in both defense and non-defense spending. Obama has made minimal progress on this issue, despite his promises at the outset of his presidency not to “kick the can down the road.” The federal government’s long-term financial stability is an essential condition of the growth and equity to which Clinton appropriately aspires, and which her husband, former president Bill Clinton, can plausibly claim to have fostered during his time in office. On Monday, she treated the whole issue as an afterthought. “I will propose ways to ensure that our fiscal outlook is sustainable,” she pledged, which is definitely one promise she needs to keep, and soon.

B4 / SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015 / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Opinion/Perspectives GUEST COLUMN

Resale ban on tickets is outdated, frivolous By Dan Horning

ere we are, heading toward the peak of baseball and summer concert seasons. But in the middle of all the sun and excitement there’s a lingering problem: If you try to sell an unused ticket to a sporting event or concert for just $1 above the face value, an 80-year-old Michigan law says you could go to jail. It doesn’t matter how much you paid in “convenience fees,” shipping charges, seat license fees, sales taxes or anything else. Those charges aren’t included on the ticket, which means fans are required by law to sell their tickets at a loss. No one would think it’s reasonable to apply the same resale restrictions to homes, cars and other consumer goods, but for some reason event tickets are singled out.

CALL IT CRONY CAPITALISM

Nor does it matter that ticket sales above face value happen every day online. Ticketmaster, StubHub and a plethora of other online services offer fans an opportunity to buy and sell available seats at any price. These companies use a loophole in the law that allows them to enter into exclusive agreements with venues and artists to resell seats for as much as they want. The law grants these companies monopoly power and restricts everyday Michiganders from engaging in an open market. It’s a classic case of crony capitalism, and it’s high time to do something about it. STREAMLINING THE LAWS

House Bill 4015 would restore free market principles to ticket resales and bring Michigan citizens out of back alleys to partake in legal economic transactions that will be subject to proper consumer protections. The bill is also a clear example of what was meant when Gov. Rick Snyder called for the elimination of “outdated and redundant” laws when talking about corrections reform. Our state’s outdated ban on ticket resale is a frivolous law that criminalizes basic economic behavior. Critics of the bill fear it will increase the number of fraudulent ticket sales and cause the spread of websites that attempt to mask themselves as official venue sites to sell fake tickets. This type of activity is already illegal and would remain so under this bill. The majority of states have already eliminated ticket resale restrictions without problems. Bill 4015 passed the House with bipartisan support earlier this year. It’s time for the Senate to act on the bill and send it to Gov. Snyder’s desk for approval. — Dan Horning, a former member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, is a founding member of the Michigan Ticket Fairness Coalition.

WRITING TO US

We welcome letters to the editor and try to publish as many as possible. To help us do that, we ask that letters be brief — no more than 250 words — and address public policy or news and opinion articles. Guest columns reﬂecting the writer’s experience or expertise also may be submitted at 400 words. Please submit by Tuesday morning for consideration in the next Sunday’s paper. All submissions are subject to editing. Email letters to kzletters@MLive. com. Be sure to include your name, hometown, address and phone. (The address and phone are for veriﬁcation only.)

POLITICS

In White House run, as many reasons as Republican hopefuls By Nancy Benac

The Associated Press

ho yelled “everybody into the pool?” After all the candidate announcements, after all the speculation about who would go first and who’s yet to jump in, one question remains in this summer BEFORE the election year: Why are so many Republicans running for president? Surely, the soon-to-be-17 announced GOP candidates don’t all think they will become president. But it’s easy for a politician to get caught up in the hype and yell “cowabunga!” in a year when there’s no incumbent seeking re-election and no Republican seems to have an inside track. Plus, it’s easier than ever to make a credible run for president, thanks to the equalizing effects of social media and digital fundraising, and with looser federal rules on raising money. The apt question for an ambitious Republican this year seems to be: Well, why not? With a tweet that “I’m in,” Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker added his name to the list Monday. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore are expected to follow. “Every now and then you have an election cycle that is defined by what can be best described as me-too-ism,” said Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown’s Institute of Politics and Public Service and a onetime spokesman for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. With any number of theoretical pathways to the GOP nomination, second-tier candidates may well have said to themselves, “Why can’t I burst into that top tier?” Elleithee said. “Everybody is sitting there with their advisers, slicing and dicing the electorate, and either finding a potential path or deluding themselves into finding a potential path.” Tony Fratto, a Washington consultant who worked for President George W. Bush, said you can win just by entering. Beyond the generally easier mechanics, he said, there are all sorts of incentives to run that have nothing to do with actually being president. “You have the opportunity to become a personality in a relatively short period of time,” says Fratto. “You get on the national stage, your name ID is elevated, and that can translate into writing books, giving speeches and getting an opportunity to go on TV.” Not to mention a potential job as vice president or in the

JUMPING INTO THE RACE

Scott Walker Jim Webb Chris Christie

When and how the current crop of 2016 presidential hopefuls told the world they were officially running:

Bobby Jindal Donald Trump Jeb Bush

Republican

Rick Perry

Democrat

Lincoln Chafee

Declared candidacy in a:

Lindsey Graham

News conference/Q&A

Martin O’Malley

Speech/Rally

George Pataki Rick Santorum

Tweet Mike Huckabee

Video

Ben Carson Carly Fiorina Bernie Sanders* Marco Rubio Hillary Rodham Clinton Rand Paul Ted Cruz

7 12 13

30 4 5

27 28 30 1 3 4 15 16

24 30

*Sanders, an independent, is seeking the Democratic nomination. SOURCE: AP reports

Cabinet. It worked for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who’s running again after parlaying his losing candidacy in the 2008 primaries into political celebrity. The should-I-run equation is different on the Democratic side, where Clinton is dominant, but even there, four other notable candidates have joined the against-the-odds race. Some reasons so many candidates are running this year: WAITING FOR A STUMBLE

If top-tier candidates suddenly falter, some challengers want to make sure they are positioned to step right up. These types “genuinely think things can fall apart” for the top candidates, Princeton historian Julian Zelizer said. He puts New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kasich in that category. In Christie’s case, Zelizer said, “I think part of him hopes that people will see how great he is — according to him” if an opening emerges. THE OBAMA EFFECT

The election of a junior Illinois senator as president in 2008 has heartened candidates who might not otherwise have thought they were ready to run. “What Barack Obama proved

in 2008 is that you don’t need all that much experience,” Fratto said. “You can take on a presumed front-runner, and you can raise money and improve your name ID very quickly.” Obama’s precedent has to hearten Marco Rubio, from Florida, and Ted Cruz, from Texas, both 44-year-old freshman senators, and 52-yearold rookie Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Zelizer said, “all you need is a few wealthy people and you can be a presidential candidate.” Candidates may not have enough money to go the distance, but a supportive billionaire or super PAC can help. Casino titan Sheldon Adelson’s millions kept Newt Gingrich’s 2012 candidacy afloat long after it otherwise would have gone under.

TAKING TURNS

No sugar daddy? No problem. Online fundraising and social media have made it cheaper and easier for candidates to haul in small contributions. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson is relying on small contributions to propel his GOP campaign. And on the Democratic side, Sanders’ upstart challenge to Clinton is pulling in millions mostly through small donors on the Internet.

Senior politicians may look at relative newcomers who have gotten into the race, and think, “Wait, it’s my turn.” Elleithee envisions veterans such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, and Kasich asking themselves, “Why should these young up-andcomers be seen as more credible than me?” IDEA GUYS

Some candidates run to get their ideas into the mix. Graham is pushing the GOP to focus on national security. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is pressing Democrats to do more to address income inequality. BIG MONEY

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling that loosened fundraising rules,

SMALL DOLLARS

THE “ME” BRAND

Businessman-showman Donald Trump has to know he is not going to be president. His self-promotional candidacy helps keep him in the news, something he’s clearly relishing, even if his comments on Mexican immigrants have triggered a backlash that’s going to cost him.

GUEST COLUMN

Trump merely gives the GOP what it wanted Bloomberg News

eince Priebus, the Republican national chairman, has reportedly asked Donald Trump to “tone it down.” That’s OK, I suppose, but it misses the larger point: Priebus himself has set up a process that is begging Republican candidates to amp things up. He’s only getting what he asked for. So expect some wild stuff before the month is over. Priebus wanted fewer GOP debates in this presidential cycle and to start them later. He had decided, based on virtually no evidence, that the number and timing of debates in the 2012 cycle harmed Mitt Romney in the general election. The consequence has been to raise the stakes for the first debate, set for Aug. 6 on Fox News. In the 2012 cycle, debates started in May 2011, and with six held through that September,

no single early debate had that much weight. And because Priebus didn’t try to dictate which candidates would be included this time, the television hosts took on the job. Fox decided to invite 10, based only on recent polling, giving those in the crowded field a strong incentive to act up so they can capture as much attention as possible. After all, as Trump is demonstrating, reaching double digits in early polls of a 17-candidate field isn’t about getting people to like a candidate. If a candidate can make the entire campaign a referendum on himself, then even if he loses by a lopsided margin, the 10 or 12 percent who do approve of him will place him among the polling leaders. That won’t help him in 2016, when voters take the whole thing more seriously, but it’s enough to get into the top 10. Any candidate who doesn’t

make the cut loses an opportunity to spark a public-opinion rally. Even worse, party actors may use the polling cutoff as an excuse to narrow down the contenders they are actively considering. That could spell the end for several of them. So Trump is just doing what he was invited to do. It’s the muted behavior of the other candidates, the ones who aren’t running naked through the streets, that’s more of a puzzle. As Ed Kilgore notes, however, they probably still have time to say or do something dramatic to draw attention. HuffPost Pollster’s current estimate has seven apparently safe candidates. Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Scott Walker, the three likeliest nominees, are in. So are Trump, Ben Carson, Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee. Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina and Rick Perry currently fill out the

top 10, but they are in a large group with Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, John Kasich, Lindsey Graham and Bobby Jindal, all of whom have tied for 10th or better in one or more of the nine most recent polls that HuffPost tracks. Kasich may have an advantage: His announcement, scheduled for Tuesday, could give him the publicity he needs to move up a notch. The candidates currently holding office may be able to generate some news. The chances that Cruz will give an extended speech in the Senate seem strong, while Jindal and Christie may try to pick the kind of high-visibility fights with state interest groups that Fox and Rush Limbaugh love to cover. The others will have to find something else — and they’ll have to overcome (or piggyback off of) the avalanche of Trump coverage to get there.