NEWS

The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 12, 2004 - 3

ON CAMPUS
Athletics dept.
searching for
half-time acts
The University's Athletics Depart-
ment will hold open try-outs for half-
time acts at home basketball games.
Groups or individuals can audition for
men's or women's games in the Cliff
Keen Arena from 6 to 9 p.m. today.
Chosen performances will be unpaid.
Panel to discuss
film screening
The Center for Middle Eastern
& North African Studies will host
a free screening of a documentary
about the lives of four writers living
in Israel reflecting on their forced
exile from Iraq. It will be shown
today from 8 to 11 p.m. in the Rack-
ham Amphitheater.
After the screening of the film
by director Samir - the son of an
Iraqi Communist who immigrated to
Switzerland - a panel will discuss
the film. The event is part of the
"Changing Faces of Israeli Society,"
a series of lectures and events.
Speaker highlights
global violence
against women
Deborah Billings will speak for the
Tamara Williams Memorial Lecture
on the topic "Gender-based Violence
Throughout Our World."
Based in Mexico City, Billings coordi-
nates action and intervention research on
sexual violence, abortion, post-abortion
care and sexual and reproductive health
and rights of young people for the inter-
national health organization Ipas.
The annual lecture is meant to com-
memorate the life of Tamara Williams,
a University student who was killed by
her boyfriend in 1997, while also raising
awareness of domestic violence issues
and increasing interest among faculty and
students in research and training oppor-
tunities in the area of family violence.
The event was co-sponsored by Uni-
versity Housing, the School of Social
Work, and the Sexual Assault Preven-
tion and Awareness Center
CRIME
NOTES
Graffiti discovered
in South Quad
Graffiti targeted at Asian Ameri-
cans appeared on a wall outside of a
room in South Quad Residence Hall.
The Department of Public Safety
has no suspects.
Visitor steals $20
in items from
medical center
A visitor to the University Hospi-
tal tried to steal items amounting to

$20 Sunday night, but was observed
doing it. The suspect was arrested,
processed and released pending
warrant authorization.
Assault occurs at
off-campus party
A person was assaulted a party Sun-
day. The person was taken to the Uni-
versity hospital's emergency room.
THIS DAY
In Daily History
U w scixod grdate
markets necktie
of Space Invaders
Oct. 12, 1980 - In a sign of the
times, Law School alum Nancy Olah
took out an ad in The Michigan
Daily to sell ties featuring the video
game "Space Invaders."
"I designed the tie to capitalize on
the Space Invaders phenomenon,"
she said. "I noticed that not just the
kids play the games."
Olah also ran ads in publications
in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was
a lawyer, and Rolling Stone maga-
z ine

Alum sprints to
50th marathon
before age of 30

By Amber Colvin
Daily Staff Reporter
University alum Rob Toonkel will be
returning to Michigan from his home in
Washington to run his 50th marathon Oct.
24 in Detroit. His 49th will be the Mt. Desert
Island Marathon in Maine a week earlier
"It's kind of unbelievable. If you had told
me when I started that I was going to run
50 marathons, I would have said you were
crazy," Toonkel said. He added that he'll
become the ninth American ever to do so
before the age of 30.
"It feels special to be in such a unique group.
It's something everyone should strive for, to be
the greatest at something. Just having a talent
and putting all your energy into it," he said.
Toonkel, who graduated from the Busi-
ness School in 1997, said he hated running
until he ran his first race in 1994. His father
ran in the New York City Marathon in 1983,
and Toonkel said the medal his father won
in that marathon was what inspired him to
start running races.
"That medal hanging up in my parent's
room, to me, that was Olympic gold."
Toonkel ran the New York Marathon himself
in 1998. Now he calls that his most memorable
race. "That had been my goal from day one. To
go through the city and see all of it, the crowds
and everyone cheering ... it was a thrill."
From running through a dirt farm in North

Dakota to running in the middle of an Ala-
bama thunderstorm, Toonkel has had a variety
of experiences in marathons in 38 states and
the District of Columbia. The journey to 50
marathons has cost him $2,299 in entry fees so
far, and required 41,448 miles of travel.
Toonkel wakes up year-round at 5 a.m.
every morning and runs about seven to 10
miles. In total, he says he has run about
15,000 miles in preparation, and has burned
through 22 pairs of running shoes.
Coincidentally, the same week Toonkel
runs the Detroit Marathon - his 50th race
- he will also make his 50th donation to
the American Red Cross. One year after
having surgery on a herniated disc in May
2000, he began giving blood. A year later,
he started donating platelets as well, and
after one more year he began volunteering
at the George Washington University Hos-
pital in Washington. The week of his 50th
marathon and 50th donation will also con-
tain his 500th volunteer hour.
"It just fell like that. Every year I try to add
something to the mix," Toonkel said.
As for post-marathon plans, Toonkel said
he will celebrate by going out with some
friends from Michigan and just enjoying the
event. After that, he's heading toward 100
marathons. "I do plan to get there at some
point, but I think the goal is just to keep living
every day to the fullest, to keep going and being
sure to do the things that you love," he said.

Courtesy of Montgomery County Road Runners
Alum Rob Toonkel runs in one of his 48 marathons to date. He plans to run two more before he turns 30,
something only eight other Americans have done.

Father charged in child's

DETROIT (AP) - The father of a 3-year-
old who was beaten to death during an attack
on an in-home day care was arraigned Sunday
on six felony charges in his daughter's death
and the shootings of two day care workers.
Bernard Gerald Kelly, 37, of Detroit was
taken into custody at a home Saturday by
members of the Detroit Police Department's
violent crimes task force and members of
the U.S. Marshals Service, Police Chief Ella
Bully-Cummings said.
Kelly was arraigned Sunday in 36th Dis-
trict Court on charges of first-degree murder,
felony murder and child abuse in the Sept. 28
death of Stefanie Belue. He also was charged
with felony firearms possession and two
counts of assault with intent to commit mur-
der in the shootings of the day care owner and
her niece.

Kelly was ordered held without bond in the
Wayne County Jail with a preliminary hear-
ing scheduled for Oct. 21, said Maria Miller,
a spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prose-
cutor's Office.
"It's a very hard time for the family of Ste-
fanie Belue, but hopefully this brings them
some closure," Bully-Cummings said at a
news conference Sunday.
At the time of his arrest, Kelly was wear-
ing a hat and dark glasses in an attempt to
disguise himself and was carrying bags of
clothes.
"Had we not taken him into custody at that
point, he probably would have left the state,"
Bully-Cummings said.
Police believe that-Kelly was being helped
by at least one relative. Felony charges could
be filed against those family members once

death at day care center
police complete their investigation, Wayne He was hospitalized for several days and
County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. has been released.
An arrest warrant for Kelly was signed Fri- Two other children in the house were
day after one of the women shot during the unharmed.
attack that killed Stefanie named him as the Bully-Cummings wouldn't comment Sun-
assailant, Bully-Cummings said. day on a possible motive for the attack. But
Police initially reported that Stefanie had Lt. Roy McCallister, head of the homicide
been shot to death, but later said she was division, told The Detroit News for a Sunday
beaten. story that investigators believe Kelly killed
Annette Rice, 41, the day care's opera- his daughter in an attempt to avoid paying
tor, and Sherita Griggs, Rice's 22-year-old child support.
niece, were shot and critically wounded at Stefanie's mother, Charleen Belue, and
the in-home day care. Both women remained Kelly were due to meet in Wayne County Cir-
hospitalized Sunday, but Griggs regained cuit Court the day of the shooting to discuss
consciousness Friday and identified Kelly. whether Kelly would have to begin paying
Rice remained unconscious and in critical child support.
condition. Griggs' 4-month-old son, Amari, If convicted of first-degree murder, Kelly
suffered a head injury when she dropped him would go to prison for life with no chance for
during the attack. parole:

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Residents clash
over black busmess
distnct at hearing

DETROIT (AP) - Hispanic,
Asian American, Arab Ameri-
can and black activists yesterday
appealed to the City Council to
rescind support for a proposal to
use public funds to create a black
business district.
Supporters of the idea, dubbed
African Town, also appeared in
large numbers at the council meet-
ing, many
wearing yellow "After slave
sweat shirts.
bearing maps promised
of Africa and "I a damu
support African an a mul
Town." got it. So
Opponentsn
of the pro- us our 40
posal, which
City Council
endorsed over
the summer in
two resolutions,
say the language in the plan is divi-
sive because it blames immigrants
for black poverty and undermines
the city's efforts to promote econom-
ic revitalization through regional
cooperation. Critics say using public
funds to assist only black business
owners would be illegal.
The two resolutions declared
blacks Detroit's "majority minor-
ity" and called for the creation of
a development agency to adminis-
ter the program of loans and grants
to black business owners. But the
council did not adopt the entire
report, which it commissioned
from Claud Anderson, the author of
"Powernomics," a popular book on
black economic empowerment.
In light of the criticism, two coun-
cil members have proposed modify-
ing the resolutions to address legal
concerns and acknowledge the contri-
butions of immigrants. That proposal
is to be voted on tomorrow.
A separate proposal to rescind the

businesses that have never received
a penny," she said.
Reyes also said blacks and His-
panics should be on the same side.
"The money and the power
remains in the hands of the same
people it has always been in - sub-
urban white folks," she said, draw-
ing applause.
Representatives of the Asian Pacif-

ery, we were
40 acres
e. We never
at least give
acres"

ic American
Chamber of
Commerce, the
American Arab
Chamber of
Commerce and
Black Chamber
of Commerce
also asked

u

the council
to rescind the
- Ethel Bragg proposal. Their
Detroit resident comments were
often greeted
by catcalls, and hostile exchanges
between black supporters of African
Town and Hispanic opponents broke
out occasionally.
At one point, Kay Everett, the
council member who wants to
rescind the resolutions, tried to call
Hispanic activist Veronica Paiz
to the podium, but the meeting's
chairwoman, Barbara-Rose Col-
lins, would not give her the floor.
Paiz de Unidad, was shoved away
from the microphone by a pro-A fri-
can Town speaker.
The Rev. C.T. Vivian, a nation-
al civil rights leader, was one of
those urging the council to con-
tinue pushing the measure. He said
the plan could make the city a role
model for the country.
"What we're really talking about
is access to capital, which African
Americans have never been able to
get in this society," Vivian said.
Ethel Bragg, 76, one of the hun-
dreds of people who attended yes-