8F - The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - Fall 2005 ANN ARBOR AN ANCIENT CHINESE ART HIEFTJE Continued from page IF Reichardt and Libertarian candidate Rich Eirkett, came through with an overwhelming victory. She received 8,165 votes, while Reichardt received 861 and Birkett received 228 votes. "I'm glad to have won another election. I'm looking forward to serving two more years on the City Council," Carlberg said. "I think there will be a lot of good opportunities in the next two years to work with students and see how we can address their concerns." Carlberg, who was elected to her sixth term on the Council, said she will continue to work on a variety of projects in Ann-Arbor, including plans to create more affordable housing in the downtown area. Reichardt said he largely attributed his loss to people who voted a straight Democratic ticket. "If this is what the people want, this is what the people get. For all the people who seem to com- plain about City Council, there's no other answer than to look at how they voted," Reichardt said. Reichardt, who is the president of the Green Party of Michigan, said he has no plans to run for any public offices in the near future, but said he will not disappear from city politics. While Birkett lost his bid for council, he won a victory with the passing of Proposal C. Birkett is the primary author of Proposal C, which now legalizes medical marijuana in Ann Arbor. Council members Kim Groome (D-1st ward), Joan Lowenstein (D-2nd ward), Margie Teall (D-4th ward) and Chris Easthope (D-5th ward), also won re-election to the Council, in uncontested races. BUSES Continued from page IF also does not have a car on campus, said he takes the bus frequently to go to Briarwood Mall and surrounding music stores. "It's convenient and I catch the bus. without worrying about the change now," he said, referring to the quar- ters needed to pay the previous fare. The input from University students helped the AATA decide how to dis- tribute the 8,000 additional service hours it had decided to implement. A service hour refers to the amount of time a bus rides a specific route. Earlier this semester, the Univer- sity put ups four locations around campus where people could talk with both AATA representatives and Uni- versity transit officials. The officials also sent out e-mails to students and faculty to request recommendations and ideas. All those who provided feedback on the MRide program were allowed to vote on the changes. The ideas that obtained the top votes received priority, but not all were possible to enact, Brown said. An announcement detailing how the bus routes will expand was made at the end of January. "Technically 8,000 is not a lot, but it's a little boost," Brown said. In addition to the increased hours of operation, the increased bus usage means potentially taking cars off the roads, which could reduce the traffic, noise pollution and parking hardships, although statistics are not yet available. The buses also help to increase business for retailers because the routes allow more stu- dents to commute longer distances, especially students without access to a car, Brown said. "It's truly assisting the whole mass transit," Brown said. The MRide Program, which receives its $1.8 million funding through an annual combination of $1.1 million from the Federal Transit Administration and $700,000 from the University, has a contract that expires after five years. Although there are not yet plans to continue with the program, Brown does not think that it will be ter- minated at the end of the contract - especially with both parties bene- fiting. University transit experienced a 7 percent increase in ridership and the AATA recorded a 12 percent increase. The Link, a division of the AATA, also offers free services to all Mcard users to the downtown areas as well as Central Campus. Other AATA services available to University and non-University pas- sengers but not free of charge include Night Ride, Holiday Ride, A-Ride, Football Ride and RideShare. PROPOSAL C Continued from page IF "When I take (traditional) medications, I have to deal with the side effects." But Pal- iza said when she has access to marijuana, she feels better. "I am a better person, in bet- ter spirits, when I smoke a joint." Although Proposal C has not specified conditions in which it would be legal for patients to use marijuana, in general medi- cal marijuana has been shown effective in treating pain and nausea caused by AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and many other disorders. Psychiatry Prof. Kirk Bower described the pros and cons of medical marijuana use. "The major pro is to provide.relief of symp- toms for patients who do not respond to con- ventional treatments'"he said. Bower added that a major drawback of smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes is that it carries its own risks of cancer and other lung problems. The Food and Drug Administration has also expressed doubt and disdain toward the legalization of medical marijuana, sug- gesting further research is needed before legalization for therapeutic uses can be rec- ommended Medical marijuana is already legal in nine states including California, Colorado and Vermont. In August, Detroit passed a law legalizing medical marijuana in the city. A U.S Supreme Court decision preventing the use of medical marijuana, would overrule the local law, preventing its enforcement. JULIA TAPPER] ally Chinese master calligrapher Haji Noor demonstrates his craft. )II HEALTH Aichigan Book and Supply now carrier leaith & Beauty item: .uch as pain reliever. feminine care. 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