C . e I C i Yt I)al11 Ann Arbor, Michigan Wednesday, January 19, 2011 michigandaily.com MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE * City Council delays vote on medical pot ordinance Council rejects amendment to keep dispensary owner identities anonymous By ADAM RUBENFIRE Daily StaffReporter At its meeting last night, the Ann Arbor City Council postponed voting on an ordinance that would impose legal guidelines on medical marijuana licensing in Ann Arbor. S The ordinance already had been Spostponed at two prior meetings and nowwill be reconsidered at the council's next meeting on Feb. 7 in order to review possible amend- ments to the proposed law. Midway through its discussion, the City Council rejected an amendment to the ordinance that sought to better protect the anonymity of cultiva- tion facility and dispensary own- ers. During the public commentary section of the meeting, several area residents expressed concerns over a stipulation in the ordinance that would require owners of dispen- saries and cultivation facilities to place their contact information - including their names and address- es - on an official list. City Council member Sabra Briere (D-Ward 1) told council that this requirement is not in the licensing guidelines for other busi- nesses like liquor stores. However, both City Attorney Stephen Postema and City Coun- cil member Stephen Rapundalo (D-Ward 2) said liquor licenses do actually require licensees to pro- vide comparable information to that outlined in the marijua- na licensing ordinance. City Council member Christo- pher Taylor (D-Ward 3) added that he believes the city law shouldn't seek to protect the information of business owners, which includes dispensaries and cultivation facili- ties. "I think that the line of protect- ing anonymity falls for patients and caregivers rather than business owners," Taylor said. Following the rejection of the amendment concerning anonym- ity, Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje proposed that council postpone voting on the ordinance until Feb. 7 to allow City Council members time to consider other possible amendments. Hieftje added that the extra time will enable Council members to consult with the City Attorneys Office regarding the validity of possible amendments. Following Hieftje's suggestion, City Council member Marcia Higgins (D-Ward 4) motioned to postpone voting on the ordinance, and the City Council members unanimously agreed. Responding to concerns that the City Council is taking too much See CITY COUNCIL, Page 3A From left: Director of the University's North Campus Research Complex David Canter, University Vice President and General Counsel Suellyn Scarnecchia, University Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Ora Pescovitz, University President Mary Sue Coleman, University Vice President for Research Stephen Forrest and Univer- sity Provost Philip Hanlon cut the ribbon at the unveiling of the NCRC's Venture Accelerator yesterday. BuSineSS hub Venture Ac%".. unveile 11d Space to incubate businesses, spur economic growth By CAITLIN HUSTON DailyNewsEditor In response to the new busi- ness opportunities rising out of campus-based research, the University's Venture Accelerator opened yesterday in the North Campus Research Complex. As part of the University's Tech Transfer program, an orga- nization that finds ways to use University technology in the marketplace, the Venture Accel- erator is laboratory and office space for new businesses and will aid with the commercialization of their products - all with the goal of helping the region. The businesses housed in the 16,000 square-foot space all work with University-owned research. More than 500 members of the University community, business and economic development lead- ers, entrepreneurs, venture capi- talists, government officials and attendees mingled in the accel- erator offices before filling the bridges overlooking the Venture Center. Speaking before the crowd, University President Mary Sue Coleman said she believes the companies in the accelerator, along with other research and business centers in the NCRC, can help revitalize the economy at the state level and beyond. "We are eager to collaborate with companies, to drive trans- formative research that can change the world," Coleman said. "The NCRC, the Office of Tech Transfer (and) the Business Engagement Center are launch pads for this critical work we have in front of us." In addition to the Venture Accelerator,, the Office of Tech Transfer and the Business Engagement Center also celebrat- ed their formal openings at the See NCRC, Page 3A IN MEMORY Shriver remembered for work with Peace Corps 'U' alumni reflect on founding director's committment to service program By BETHANY BIRON Daily NewsEditor Sargent Shriver, the first direc- tor of the Peace Corps, died at age 95 in Bethesda, Md. yesterday afternoon after an eight-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Shriver's compassion affected the University, where the idea for the Peace Corps was given life by Shriver with the help of then-Uni- versity graduate students Al and Judy Guskin. Plans for the pro- gram were set into motion follow- ing a speech given by Kennedy on the steps of the Michigan Union at 2 a.m. on Oct. 14,1960. After the Guskins rallied for support on campus, they later met with Kennedy to begin converting the idea for the Peace Corps into a realized organization. Shriver played a key role in the initial stag- es of the program after Kennedy advised him to work as director of the Peace Corps program- a posi- tionhe held from 1961to1966. In addition to his predominant role in developing the Peace Corps under the administration of his brother-in-law, former President John F. Kennedy, Shriver is also known for his work on a variety of initiatives like the War on Poverty and the Special Olympics, which See SHRIVER, Page 3A JED MOcH/Daily Gershon Baskin, CEO and founder of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information, speaks at an event last night in the Michigan League hosted by J Street UMich. Campus speaker calls for peaceful two-state solution in Middle East UN.IVERSIT RESE A R CH 'U' prof. nearly deported from India for research on electronic voting J Street UMich hosts event about Israeli- Palestinian conflict By CLAIRE HALL Daily StaffReporter Speaking last night before a small crowd at the Michigan League, the head of a Jerusalem- based think tank advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. In a speech entitled "Partners for Peace: Do they exist? Where are they now?" Gershon Baskin, CEO and founder of the Israel/ Palestine Center for Research and Information, praised the efforts of the current Palestinian leadership while condemning their Israeli counterparts. "It saddens me deeply me, as an Israeli patriot, as anIsraeli citizen, as someone who defines himself as a Zionist, that the government of Israel today is not a partner for peace," Baskin said. The Israeli government's reluc- tance must be overcome soon, Baskin added, because for the first time ever, there's a deadline on the resolution of the conflict. According to Baskin, the current Palestinian leadership will lose its ability to govern by the end of 2011 See BASKIN, Page 2A Engineering prof. exposes flaws in India voting system By KAITLIN WILLIAMS Daily StaffReporter Alex Halderman, an assis- tant professor in the College of Engineering, was walking down a street in India when he saw a newspaper headline that said he had been deported from the country. The Indian Express reported that Halderman had been deport- ed on Dec. 12 for attempting to present his research on problems with India's electronic voting system. However, Halderman and his Dutch research colleague Rop Gonggrijp narrowly avoided deportation by arranging to stay in India for tourism purposes only and not to present their research. Halderman, who teaches electrical engineering and com- puter science at the University, worked with seven colleagues on a study titled, "Security Analy- sis of India's Electronic Voting Machines." The Indian Election Commission and other govern- ment organizations in support of the research helped keep Halder- See VOTING, Page 3A WEATHER * TOMORROW HI: 24 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILYCOM LO: 13 Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail Greg Mattison hired as Michigan DC news@michigandaily.com and let us know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE GAME INDEX AP NEWS..... Vol CXXI, No. 75 NEWS. 2011 The Michigan Daly OPI N ION... michigondaily.cvon .........2A ARTS... . ..........5A 3A SPORTS ....7A 4A THESTATEMNT . 11...1B 4