The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cam Tuesday, January 18, 2011 - 7A . 7-Eleven searches for its place in the A2 community Convenience store criticized for 'eliminating the mom and pop shops' By ADAM RUBENFIRE Daily StaffReporter Students craving for a Slurpee now need to look no further than State Street for a Hawaiian Punch or Coca-Cola frozen treat. A new 7-Eleven opened early this month at 318 S. State St. in the retail space formerly occupied by Ritz Camera. While some Ann Arbor residents have expressed concern about the chain displacing a local business, the convenience store's owner, Linda Russ, is striving to prove its place in the community. Russ said she hopes the store will quickly become a part of Ann Arbor and a place cherished by its resi- dents. "We're not looking to be an out- sider chain," Russ said. "We're part of the city." Russ said she would like the store to become a member of the State Street Association and the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce in an effort to cre- ate more of a community-oriented establishment. "We've had some people come in and say that we are eliminating the mom and pop shops," Russ said. "We're not eliminating anybody." Diane Keller, president and CEO of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Region- al Chamber of Commerce, said the new 7-Eleven's chain-store affilia- tion wouldn't hamper Russ's efforts to gain membership to the chamber. "We've got a lot of organizations that are chains that are members of the chamber of commerce," Keller said. When asked her opinion on the criticism that 7-Eleven has faced from local residents, Keller said it's important to note how chain stores in the area are able to serve the spe- cific communities where they're open for business. "If a business is conscientious of the needs of its community, then that's what counts," Keller said. Russ said the State Street 7-Elev- en's main clientele are students. A study lounge in the upper level of the store is opening soon and will have tables, chairs and couches to seat 47 people. The space will also feature artwork from University students. She added that the lounge will be cleaned frequently and equipped with security cameras to ensure that it remains a safe, clean place to study. "No smoking, no drinking, no sleeping," Russ said. Since its opening, Russ said busi- ness has been steadily on the rise as more students have become aware of it. "We started offslow in thebegin- ning," Russ said. "Now we're start- ing to pick up." While the store is open 24 hours a day, Russ said peak hours are between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. In addi- tion to the store's student clients, the store also caters to a variety of groups in the area, including police officers, city personnel and con- struction workers, Russ said. The store will also begin sell- ing beer and wine after receiving a liquor license from the city of Ann Arbor, Russ said, though she added that she doesn't know when the store will receive the license. Russ said she doesn't view her store as a competitor to the locally- owned Diag Party Shoppe, located several doors down from 7-Eleven on State Street. The nearby Diag Party Shoppe is not a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce, according to the chamber's website. "I don't think we're competing because we have a different prod- uct line," Russ said. "Our prices are lower." Russ said Jerome Kamano, owner of Diag Party Shoppe, visited her store recently and commented on how 7-Eleven's low prices will affect his business. "He's already been in here and did a tour, and asked us to do some things to work with him," Russ said. But Russ said she wouldn't make any accommodations for Kamano. "We're not going to raise our prices to match neighbors' prices," Russ said. "We have a fair price." When asked about the interac- tion with Russ, Kamano said he The new 7-Eleven on Thursday, Jan.13, 2011. The convenience store is open 24 hours a day. didn't ask the 7-Eleven owner to raise prices when he toured the store, adding that the products are already expensive. "Her prices are not cheap," Kamano said. "She's very high on a lot of her items." Kamano said he instead advised Russ on ways to safeguard her store against theft and that he isn't wor- ried about the competition between the two stores. "I was just trying to be nice to her as a friendly neighbor," Kamano said. "I'm not mad she's here. If she wants to pay that $17,000 a month rent, I'm more than happy." After visiting 7-Eleven sev- eral times last week, Art & Design sophomore Tiffany Hu said she was impressed with the variety of prod- ucts the store offers and is looking forward to the forthcoming lounge. "It's convenient for students," Hu said. Ann Arbor resident Ryan Nisbett said he isn't happy about another chain moving in, and that he's wor- ried about what this will do to busi- ness for local companies. "The Diag (Party Shoppe) down here is probably going to start suf- fering," Nisbett said. Fire at Panda Express leads to r :temporary evacuation of Union 5 par to du Afi Michig aftern rary ev ing, ac intervi The p.m. it ed in Union, ees of t The and C' they sa Panda of smo "Th was) 00 Model UN Walkowski said. At the sound of the fire alarm the rticipants forced two women said they left the build- ing and waited outside for about an } leave building hour until they were permitted to re-enter at about1:15 p.m. ring conference "All the restaurants had to get a clearance to open again," By DYLAN CINTI Walkowski said. Daily News Editor As of 2:20 p.m. Saturday after- noon, all restaurants in the base- re in the basement of the ment of the Union but Panda gan Union early Saturday Express had reopened for busi- oon resulted in the tempo- ness. A Panda Express employee vacuation of the entire build- at the Union declined to comment. cording to several sources Several calls to the .Ann ewed at the scene. Arbor Fire Department were not fire occurred at about 12:10 returned Saturday. They could n the Panda Express locat- also not be reached last night. the restaurant court of the The fire occurred during a four- according to two employ- day Model United Nations event the neighboring Wendy's. being held throughout the Union. two employees - Jen Krell The University of Michigan Model hristine Walkowski - said United Nations is an annual Uni- w fire behind the counter of versity-sponsored- conference for Express followed by a cloud high school students. ke. According to LSA senior Nick is was big, and then (there Bourjaily, the secretary general tons of black smoke," of internal affairs for UMMUN, the roughly 500 high school par- ticipants were evacuated from the Union when the fire took place. But Bourjaily said it wasn't a big issue since the conference's par- ticipants were about to break for lunch anyway. "They all left and waited in a group; no harm, no one got injured," he said. Bruce Crane, a high school junior from Mattawan High School in Mattawan, Mich. who is participating in the conference, said he was drafting a paper on illicit trafficking when he heard the fire alarm. "We just grabbed our coats and left," Crane said. "I thought it was a joke or something." Also a UMMUN participant, Kristina Mordarski, a sophomore at Arts Academy in the Woods in Fraser, Mich., said the evacuation was handled well and that nobody panicked. "Everybody was pretty calm, keeping their heads clear," Mor- danski said. In this Sept. 24, 2010 photo, a Roma child and schoolmates leave their school in Choisy-le-Roi, France. Through schoolingmore Gypsies join middle class * Affirmative action them as ignorant beggars who were a strain on society. programs open new "It was always clear to me that I didn't want to do ordinary work opportunities somewhere in a factory, getting up early in the morning, doing the SKALICA, Slovakia (AP) - The same thing over and over," said Balazova family lived on nothing Balazova, who has also founded a but potatoes and rice one month as nonprofit organization that helps they struggled to pull together the disadvantaged Gypsy children in money to buy an electric typewriter Skalica, a small town in western for their teenage daughter. Slovakia. It was one of many sacrifices that "My parents sacrificed a lot," Bal- paid off. Today, 31-year-old Zuzana azova said, slipping out of the office Balazova teaches at a university in she shares with two other instruc- Slovakia while finishing a doctorate tors at the University of Central in sociology. Europe to share her story in a quiet She's among a small but growing room nearby. "I appreciate it and number of Gypsies who are rising am trying to return something to into the ranks of an educated middle them now." class across Europe - offering some Such success comes against hope that the minority may one day many odds: deeply-rooted anti- be able to use schooling to break Gypsy stigma, segregated schooling throughwalls of prejudice thathave in some countries that often con- kept them in misery for centuries. demns Roma to an inferior educa- The issue flared this past summer tion, stifling social codes in their and fall when France stepped up own traditions that discourage con- an aggressive deportation program tact with the non-Gypsy world. against Gypsies, or Roma, casting Many of Europe's roughly 8 mil- . . short of funds to fl VWorld Food Palestinian territories is to send the message to the world that we are Programme lacking in a funding crisis," Sheeran told the AP. The U.N's front line agency $3 billion to provide against hunger relies on voluntary contributions from governments, funds for food corporations and individuals. The agency needs about $6 billion this RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) year, but is about $2.8 billion short, - The World Food Programme is Sheeran said. nearly $3 billion short this year in "When people are hungry, they its fight against global hunger, and only have three options - they the gap is likely to grow if food pric- revolt, they migrate or they die," she es keep rising, the head of the U.N. said, adding that it's more cost effec- agency said in an interview Monday. tive to prevent hunger than to deal Josette Sheeran said the shortfall with its consequences. amounts to almost half of what the Sheeran said the funding short- agency needs. fall is likely to grow, since the cur- Sheeran spoke to The Associated rent figures have not taken into Press after touring the Palestinian account another food crisis, a possi- city of Hebron, where she inspected bility raised by the World Bank and an electronic food voucher project others. meant to streamline distribution of Hunger has been on the rise food to the needy. since the financial and food crises of The system was first tried out in 2008, she said, and more than 1 bil- the West Bank in 2009 and has since lion people are reduced to one meal been introduced in several other a day. places. "If food prices escalate again, "Part of why I have come to the the most vulnerable in the world lion Roma still live in extreme pov- erty and are reviled by mainstream society. In the French expulsions, the government rounded up hun- dreds of Eastern European Roma and deported them to Romania and Bulgaria, in a program that attract- ed worldwide condemnation. But for some, new opportunities are opening up, thanks to affirma- tive action programs in countries like Hungary, private scholarships, the determination of people like Balazova - and the sacrifices of parents who are themselves some- times illiterate. There are no hard statistics on how many Roma across Europe make it to university because most countries in central and eastern Europe, where most Roma live, do not gather statistics on ethnicity - still a potentially disruptive force across much of the region. The Roma Education Fund says about 25 percent of Roma are still illiter- ate, and the United Nations says as much as 50 percent of Roma do not complete primary school. .ght hunger will lose the one meal a day they are having," she said. "If food prices double, that means one meal every two days." Sheeran carries with her a red plastic cup to illustrate how little it would take to ensure children don't go to school hungry. It would cost about one euro to fill that cup once a day for a week, she said. The future is at stake, she said. Children who get at least one daily meal stay in school and study better. In the West Bank, about 75,000 school children benefit from the program. Instead of a cup of food, they get milk and a date bar made in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to find a local producer to help boost the struggling Palestinian economy, Sheeran said. The West Bank has been a test- ing ground for the electronic food voucher, a debit card with which beneficiaries buy their staples when they need them at local stores, rather than having to report to distribution centers at fixed times. Rumors and questions surface as former Haiti dictator stays in hotel Duvalier's motives for returning to country unclear PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - From a posh hotel room, Hai- ti's former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier greeted old friends and allies while provid- ing no public insight into why he suddenly returned to the country he fled amid a popular rebellion a generation-ago. The lack of information left Haitians to speculate on what the appearance of the exiled former president-for-life could mean for the country, its efforts to build out of poverty - and what other politi- cal surprises might be coming amid an increasingly problematic electoral crisis. The immediate speculation was on whether the ex-dictator's return is a mere precursor to a potentially more epochal event: a return by the man who helped lead the movement to topple him, ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aris- tide, who has been in South Afri- can exile since 2004. Haitian radio repeated rumors throughout the day that Aristide was headed for Panama or Cuba, en route to Port-au-Prince. There was no immediate indication those reports were true. Aristide's attorney in Miami, Ira Kurzban, said the ousted for- mer president, who remains popu- lar in Haiti, wants tQvcome back to his homeland. "President Aristide has said he desires to return to his country. His position is that he's always had a right to his return," he said. U.S. State Department spokes- man P.J. Crowley was compelled to say in a Twitter post that "We are not aware of any plans for for- mer President Aristide to travel to Haiti." Historian Georges Michel said such an occurrence would over- shadow Baby Doc's return. "You have some people excited, but you have not seen big excite- ment in the streets like when (singer) Wyclef (Jean) arrived or if Aristide would return from his exile," he said. Another theory: President Rene Preval was behind Duva- lier's return to create a distraction from the problematic presidential election in which Preval's chosen candidate is deadlocked against a popular carnival singer for a posi- tion in the second round, which was supposed to take place the day Baby Doc arrived. "They.say on the streets that Preval created a diversion to divert the attention" from the rival can- didates in that race, Michel said, but he added that he doubted it would work. "I can predict that the people will not forget their vote," he said. If an acceptable second round doesn't happen, "They will take to the streets and demand the imme- diate departure of Preval." Yet another question many ask here: Why hasn't Duvalier been arrested, given Preval's past state- ments that he would be prosecut- ed for crimes against the Haitian people if he ever returned. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said he is aware of the accusations but that an arrest is unlikely anytime soon. "We want to be a government that respects the law and to arrest somebody you have to have a judiciary pro- cess," he said. Others are insistent. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the generally Aristide- favoring Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti have said there is ample evidence and legal action to arrest him during his stay. "The information available in existing legal proceedings and Mr. Duvalier's 25-year flight from Haitian justice clearly justify the immediate issuance and execution of an arrest warrant," IJDH said in a statement. At the moment, at least, there are nopending charges against the former dictator. In fact, National Police for a time guarded him at the upscale Hotel Karibe before withdrawing, leaving security to hotel guards and a few U.N. peace- keepers stationed outside. Few clues came from inside the refurbished Karibe, a new building that was badly damaged and then repaired after the earthquake. Old allies of the regime in suits and dress shirts filed into the balcony- ringed lobby, taking the elevator to and from Duvalier's room. Henry Robert Sterlin, a for- mer ambassador who said he was speaking on behalf of Duvalier, portrayed the 59-year-old ex-dic- tator as merely a concerned elder statesmen who wanted to see the effects of the devastating Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake on his homeland. "He was deeply hurt in his soul after the earthquake," Sterlin said. "He wanted to come back to see how is the actual Haitian situation of the people and the country." Duvalier - who assumed power in 1971 at age 19 following the death of his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier - still has some support in Haiti and millions are too young to remember life under his dictatorship. But his abrupt return Sunday still sent shock waves through the country, with some fearing that his presencewill bring back the extreme polariza- tion, and political violence, of the past.