LOCAL/S TATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 10, 1998 - 3
CRIME
High-speed
chase leads to
bus accident
The Ann Arbor Police Department
apprehended two men Tuesday evening
after a high-speed chase, AAPD reports
stated.
. The two men violated a traffic law
,4on Boardwalk Street before an officer
attempted to pull the car to the side of
the road.
AAPD reports indicate the men did
not pull over but continued driving
along Boardwalk Street.
Reports state that when the chase
continued into a nearby parking lot,
the driver fled the car while it was in
motion, leaving the passenger in the
= ,,car to crash into a Purdue University
,bus that was parked in the lot.
Officers found the men were in pos-
; session of handguns after their
t arrests.
The men were arrested and lodged in
he Washtenaw County Jail.
A report was filed.
Emblems stolen
from Michigan
Stadium
A man called DPS on Tuesday after-
noon to report that someone had stolen
three brass "M" emblems from
Michigan Stadium.
The caller said the emblems were
,taken from three different gates which
,xarc on the brick retaining wall, allow-
- ing field access. The emblems are val-
tied between S500 and $600, DPS
reports state.
A report was filed.
Loud neighbors
aggravate man
Public Safety on Wednesday night to
report that his neighbors were making
loud noises.
The caller said he could hear a per-
son stomping, fighting and yelling.
The man said this was the second
,occurrence of such behavior, but he
had not reported the previous inci-
lent.
DPS units responded to the com-
plaint and spoke with the caller's
neighbors. The officer reported that
eight children were in the house -
all females aged two through 14.
The adult at the residence said it was
bath time and the television was at a
if gh volume, DPS reports said.
Vandal provides
parking tips
A report was filed.
A woman called DPS on Monday
evening to report damage to her auto-
mobile, which she had parked in
University parking lot M-18 on E.
Medical Center Drive.
,The woman said when she returned
to her vehicle, someone had written
"Learn how to park" on her windows
in paint, DPS reports said.
a The caller said she was unable to
remove the substance.
A report was filed.
Mian abused by
7girlfriend
A student called DPS on Monday
'.iening to report that his girlfriend was
abusing him in West Quad Residence
Hall.
1 le caller said his girlfriend had
left the room, but she had pushed him
several times and verbally abused
him before leaving, DPS reports stat-
ed.
The man declined medical assis-
A report was filed.
-- Compiled by Daily Staff'Reporter
Reivl Brennan.
Landfill to be transformed into power plant
By Peter Meyers
Daily Stifl'eporter
Sixty years of dumped garbage is starting to pay
off. The city landfill at Ellsworth and Platt roads,
which closed in 1994, has become the site for a
small power plant that will burn the methane gas
produced by the garbage, turning it into electricity.
"If you have a bunch of garbage, particularly
organic garbage, decomposition creates methane"
said David Konkle, energy coordinator for Ann
Arbor. "Methane is a flammable, burnable fuel, (but)
if you let it out, it's a powerful greenhouse gas."
Landfills are one of the major sources of the
atmosphere's methane, said Lee Katterman, the
coordinator of research communication in the
College of Engineering.
"The Earth is kind of a sink for heat," Katterman
said. "Methane and (carbon dioxide) become a
barrier that prevents some of this heat loss."
Burning methane is 99 percent effective at
removing harmful effects to the atmosphere,
Konkle said.
Katterman said decomposition in landfills is one
of several ways methane enters the air. The gas also
can be found underground and is formed in the
digestive tract of animals that produce cud, such as
cattle.
"One landfill isn't going to make a huge effect,
but it's still going to help" Katterman said.
The plant will celebrate it's grand opening April
22, Earth Day, with Mayor Ingrid Sheldon sched-
uled to pull the ceremonial switch. The plant has,
however, been quietly running since April 1.
"We were going to make sure the system
worked," Konkle said.
Konkle said the plant is one of only a handful of
methane plants in Michigan. As a fuel, methane
produces 500 BTU's per cubic foot, which is about
half as powerful as natural gas. he said. It will pro-
duce about 1.5 megawatts of electricity annually
- enough to power about 1,000 homes.
The project is being done in association with
several private companies. Michigan Cogeneration
Systems has taken charge of the project and pro-
vided the generator system for the plant's power.
The company will pay the city 515.000 per year
for access to the methane. The Biomass Energy
company constructed the actual gas recapture sys-
tem that physically pumps the methane out of the
ground.
In 1989, the Michigan legislature passed the
Waste to Energy Act, which provides a tax credit
to energy companies that use waste as a power
source. This act covers both garbage burning
plants and methane plants.
Michigan Cogeneration Systems will sell the
energy to Detroit Edison.
The investment cost for equipment totalled
about S2.5 million, Konkle said.
""his was all at basically no cost to the city,
Konkle said.
The methane produced by the plant steadily will
decrease over the next several years. Konkle said.
He predicted the production will fall to about half
its present levels in five years, and after 10 years,
levels will be so low that they will no longer be
feasible for energy production.
At that time, Michigan Cogeneration systems
will remove the generator, but will lea e the gas
recapture system in place, Konkle said. This plan
has the additional benefit of preparing for future
environmental regulations because the dump will
continue to produce methane for another 20 years,
he said. Future, stricter enviroiniental laws for
cities and landfill management may require this
type of methane capture.
Research center fights negative
stereotypes of student athletes
NATHAN RUFFER/Dafly
History Prof. and Ypsilanti Mayor Terry McDonald rallies people to "Vote No"
on Proposition C yesterday at Shaman Drum Bookshop.
Ypsilanti resi'dents
raise funds for
a nsn
d1 -i iC11T na Oi
By Trevor Gardner
Daily Staff Reporter
University students, faculty and
alumni gathered yesterday for the inau-
gural Symposium of the Paul Robeson
Research Center for Academic and
Athletic Prowess.
'Jo encourage the academic endeav-
ors of University student athletes,
Kinesiology Prof. Keith Harrison creat-
ed the Paul Robeson Research Center
for Academic and Athletic Provess,
commemorating the life and accom-
plishments of the center's namesake.
Robeson was a singer. musician, ath-
lete and activist known for his academic
accomplishments. Harrison said reading
about Robeson's life reconstructed his
view of the role of the American athlete,
"I started reading about him from
(Richard) Lapchick's book. He said,
'Let's talk about athletes who are bal-
anced and perform in law and medi-
cine, rather than the stereotypical ath-
lete,"' Harrison said.
Lapehick, a sociology professor at
Northeastern University. was the keynote
speaker at yesterday's symposium.
The inaugural Symposium was a day-
long event that took place in the
Kinesiology building next to the CCR13.
It began with a panel of student ath-
letes, who discussed why Robeson serves
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as a role model for their college experi-
ences in both academia and athletics.
University alumnus and former
Miichigan football player Jarrett Irons
spoke about his experience in the NFL
and the value education has held in his
life after football.
"Even though I had taken the neces-
sary precautions for life without foot-
ball, I never thought that day would
come." Irons said.
Durin his undergraduate years, Irons
ensured that he would be well-prepared
for a career outside of professional foot-
ball. Because lie was red-shirted as a
first-year student. Irons spent five years
in Michigan's football program. In his
fifth year, he began pursuing a masters
deoree in facility management. Irons
will graduate from the University's mas-
ters program in the fall.
"Just because you're good doesn't
mean you're going to make it." Irons said.
In the afternooni. I.apchick delivered a
speech titled "Modem Day Stereotypes
and the Exploitation of Black Athletes."
Lapchick addressed issues including stu-
dent athletes in academia, the significance
of athlete exploitation and stereotypes.
"In 14 years I have never been called
by the media to talk about an athlete
that has done something good,"
Lapchick said. he said after question-
ing members of the media about con-
sistent negative portrayals of athletes.
lie was told, "Good news doesn't sell:'
Lapchick also spoke about the delicate
relationship between race and sports.
"Whites still generally believe that
sports) is a level playing field," liesaid,
adding that American sports institutions
have an abysmal record in hiring blacks
for management positions.
"You can look at our statistics and see
that our athletic departments are the
worst employers of people of color and
women;" Lapchick said. "Attitudes can
help to create or perpetuate stereotypes."
I apchick suggested that raising the
number of minorities in sports related
positions could transform attitudes
xN ithin the industry.
Kinesiology Junior Marcelo
McDougall said lie appreciated
Lapchick's remarks.
"He did a really great presentation."
McDougall said. "I think his point
about how race is such a key in sports
today is a really important issue that
definitely needs to be looked at."
McDougall added that the center will
enhance the Department of Kisiology.
"I think the Paul Robeson Center is a
really good idea," McDougall said. "It
definitely fits an important role here in
the department."
By Adam Cohen
For the Daily
Driven by Constitutional
promises of freedom and a com-
mon desire to promote equal
rights, about 50 people attended a
benefit at Shaman Drum
Bookshop yesterday to raise funds
to fight to keep an anti-discriina-
tion ordinance.
Donations were accepted from
various groups and individuals who
are working against the repeal of
Ypsilanti's recent non-discrimina-
tion ordinance.
The ordinance was originally
enacted by a unanimous vote on
Dec. 16 so "that no person be
denied the equal protection of the
laws."
The ordinance also states that no
one should "be discriminated
against because of race, color, reli-
gion, national origin, sex, sexual
orientation, age (or) marital status?'
among other things.
Ann Arbor has had an anti-dis-
crimination law for more than 20
years.
In late January, a small group
collected signatures to repeal the
Non-Discrimination Ordinance
for the City of Ypsilanti. The
ordinance was eventually sus-
pended and will be put to a vote
oin Mav 5.
Beth Bashert, one of the co-
chairs for the all-volunteer
Ypsilanti Campaign for Equality,
said the group that brought about
the suspension is targeting the gay
commiiunity.
"Without the new ordinance
and being a lesbian, I could go
into work one day and they could
say, 'Beth, you're fired,"" Bashert
said.
"We want protection so that we
can live, work and make purchas-
es in this city without the threat of
discrimination."
All of the donations are used for
informative mailings, newsletters.
benefit dances and other recep-
tions to support the May 5 voter
referendum.
After thanking the gathering of
people,. niersity history Prof.
Terry McDonald a member of the
Ypsilanti City Council, gave a short
speech to show his support for the
ordinance
McDonald said the situation
involves a "serious struggle in
Ypsilanti for people's basic
human rights ... We need to pre-
serve the human rights ordinance
we passed in December ... We
need help financially."
h istory faculty member Sueann
Caulfield said the ordinance pro-
tects Ypsilanti citizen's rights and
should be upheld.
"It's an important issue for Ann
Arbor as a community and for the
University Caulfield said.
"I think it's important each
time this kind of legislation is
repealed by conservatives,"
Caulfield said. "It remot es equal
righits aws."
O)thier sporters attended the
benefit to fight the repeal.
"It is important to fight and show
support," said Larry Kestenbaum, a
state representative candidate for
tie 52nd District.
"Iftwe lose this, it's going to be
a depressing thing and a bad
message. It's a difficult fight,"'
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What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend
69
i ZA
H ous e
5 p
FRIDAY
J "Billy Collins, Poetry Reading,"
Sponsored by Department of
English, Rackham Building,
AmphAtheate,..4p.m.
J "Spring Commencement Information,"
For details please contact
http://www.umich.edu/~gradinfo/
J "Student Mediation Services,"
Sponsored by Student Mediation
Services. Michigan Union, Room
J "Student Mediation Services,"
Sponsored by Student Mediation
Services, Michigan Union, Room
4354.
1"Sunday Worship," Sponsored by
Laymen's Evangelical Fellowship,
Ann Arbor YMCA, Zonta Room,
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