[he Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, October 31, 2011 - 3A he Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Monday, October 31, 2011 - 3A EWS BRIEFS ETROIT etroit Public chools recalling aid-off teachers Nearly 90 laid-off Detroit Pub- c Schools teachers are being alled back to work to ease over- rowding in some of the district's lassrooms, district officials nnounced Saturday. Principals at 34 schools equested more teachers, the dis- ict said ina release. Some teachers and parents have omplained of classes with more tudent than allowed under the achers' union contract. Of the istrict's more than 4,000 class- ooms, 22 exceeded student num- er limits, school officials said. TATE COLLEGE, Pa. arly snow pelts ast Coast, 2.3M eft without power An unusually early and pow- rful nor'easter dumped wet, eavy snow Saturday from the id-Atlantic to New England, ppling leafy trees and power nes and knocking out electric- y to more than 2 million homes nd businesses. Communities inland were etting hit hardest, with east- rn Pennsylvania serving as the ull's-eye for the storm. West ilford, N.J., about 45 miles- orthwest of New York City, had ceived 15.5 inches of snow by aturday night, while Plainfield, ass., had gotten 14.3 inches. ew York City's Central Park set record for both the date and the onth of October with 1.3 inches snow. More than 2.3 million custom- rs lost power from Maryland orth through Massachusetts, nd utilities were bringing in rews from other states to help estore it. More than half a mil- on residents in New Jersey, enosylvania and Connecticut er without power, including ew Jersey Gov.Chris Christie. y late Saturday, the storm had acated most of Pennsylvania nd was tracking northeast. IAMI ettlement reached n 2001 anthrax eath lawsuit The widow of a Florida tab- id photo editor who died in he 2001 anthrax mailings has eached a settlement in her law- uit againstthe U.S. government. Maureen Stevens of Lake orth and the government have ached a tentative agreement at must be approved by the ustice Department, according 'o court documents filed late last eek in West Palm Beach federal burt. In her lawsuit, originally filed 2003, Stevens had claimed at the government was negli- ent in failing to stop someone om working at an Army infec- ious disease lab from creating eapons-grade anthrax used in tters that killed five people and 'ckened 17 others. Her husband, obert Stevens, was the first vic- EIIING hina cop accused f drunken crash, rowds protest A police officer was suspected f driving a police van drunk and illing five people in a central hina crash that sparked angry rowds to smash and flip police ars in the latest burst of public nger against the authorities. Wang Yinpeng, the head of a wnship police station in Henan rovince's Runan county, was harged with endangering pub- c security after the van crashed to two street lamp poles Satur- ay afternoon, the official Xin- ua News Agency said. The poles fell, fatally crushing ve victims and injuring three ore. -Compiled from Daily wire reports Anti-arson patrols to flood Detroit streets CHRIS DZOMBAK/ English Prof. Ralph Williams reacts to receiving the Lifetime Achievement Golden Apple award on March 9, 2009, WILLIAMS From Page1A ing the Summer 2011 term. He said he is returning to the University next semester at the request of the Department of English Language and Literature. As long as the department wants himto teach, he is happyto do it, he said., Faculty members do not often come out of retirement, but Wil- liams was an extremely popular professor so the University made an exception in his case, according to Katherine Teasdale, the under- graduate administrator of the Eng- lish department. "This is a highly unusual arrangement for Professor Wil- liams, acknowledging his unprec- edented success in the classroom," Teasdale wrote in ane-mail inter- view. "But because of Professor Williams's reputation and exper- tise, we thought it would be an incredible learning experience for our students." Williams said he loves interact- ing with students, which is one of the reasons he was drawn back to teaching. "They sort of tug and pull and pry at my mind and lead me on, and both preparation for lecture (and) discussion ... are a mode of my own growth and it's marvelous, it really is," Williams said. Williams is renowned for get- ting to know his students, despite teaching many large classes. "Remarkably, he knows the names of his hordes of students, and remembers things about their lives that are important," Teasdale wrote. Williams said he tries to under- stand his students because they each have a different and impor- tant point of view. He explained that if students do not share their perspectives, the history and cul- ture of those students are not rec- ognized. This, he said, isthe reason he recognizes all of his students, even if it is just with a glance or a gesture. LSA senior Kimberly Grambo said Williams delivered a num- ber of guest lectures to her Great Books course during her freshman year, and the classes she took with him were memorable. "Part of it was hype," Grambo said. "Everyone showed up for this lecture that he was in. The place was packed, and it was just the energy. He walks in, and it's like every single lecture is a perfor- mance." Grambo said she expects Wil- liams's return to be a big deal for the institution. "I think (his return) means a lot," she said. "I heard that he was coming back, actually, and it reminded me of Michael Jordan." While Williams has lectured at other universities, he remained a professor at the University of Michigan for the entirety of his career after a brief stint at Cornell University in the late 1960s. Wil- liams said he thinks the University is the "best public university in the land," and he appreciates how much he has learned'from other departments within the Univer- sity. "One of the lovely things about Michigan is that whatever is stud- ied is studied here and well, so I tried to learn from people all over the University," Williams said. Throughout his time as a pro- fessor and during his hiatus, Williams undertook a number of projects to improve the education- al experience at the University. One of the projects was col- laborating with the Royal Shakespeare Company, which he worked with for a number of years. He said he believes Shake- speare productions are not only educational, but also contribute to the University's culture. Wil- liams said University alumni fly in from all over the United States and the world to see some cam- pus productions. Williams also said he hopes to connect visiting alumni with students through a project called "The Stadium and the Stage" so alumni can main- tain their connection to the Uni- versity. Williams also pioneered the "Chevrutah" approach to teaching at the University, where students are paired with another student for the entire semester to discuss the material together each class. Wil- liamsusesthe formatinstead of the typical discussion model, in which some students speak more than others, a style that goes against his teaching philosophy. Williams said he would like to continue develop- ing the teaching format at the Uni- versity during his return. Williams summed up his feel- ings about the University and teaching in one line in Italian: "If I were ever to have an epitaph and deserved it, it might be one from Dante, a line of his I par- ticularly like, but it's one which I would like to see characterize this University - intellectual light, full of love."' Police and fire departments aim to prevent fires during Halloween DETROIT (AP) - If any- one has any intention of setting fires in Calvin Colbert's west- side Detroit neighborhood, he wants them to know that he'll be watching. The 62-year-old Colbert will be one of thousands of city resi- dents patrolling streets over the annual Halloween period which began yesterday with Angels' Night. The coordinated effort by the city, police and fire departments and neighborhood groups is aimed at reducing the number of fires intentionally set to vacant buildings, houses, garages and trash containers. On the blocks he patrols near Cody High School, there have been few arsons around Hallow- een over the past few years, Col- bert said. "I do remember the years when we were going from fire to fire," he said. "For the last two years, the deterrence is in place, and people know there are going to be a number of people out patrolling. That deters individu- als from trying to do arsons." Detroit gained national and world-wide notoriety during the 1980s when vandals delighted in starting fires across the city over what then was known as devils' night. In 1984, more than 800 fires were started over three days. The city began to mobilize volunteers to augment police patrols, and the name Angels' Night eventually was coined. Last year, firefighters responded to 169 blazes, most in vacant structures. There were 119 fires reported in 2009 and 136 in 2008. A city-wide curfew banning children younger than 18 from being outside without adult supervision was to go into effect at 6 p.m. Sunday. It's also illegal to pump gaso- line into portable containers or to carry any flammable' liq- uid until 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The ordinance does not apply in emergency situations for any- one over age 18 where the fuel is needed for a stalled vehicle, heating a home or for use in an emergency generator. "We are targeting our pre- vention activities leading up to it," Detroit Fire Chief Kwaku Atara said about Angels' Night. "We are speaking to commu- nity groups and middle and high school students." Police and firefighters have their jobs to do, but much of the work also should fall on Detroi- ters, Colbert said. He also is part of Brothers on Patrol, a group of men who patrol public bus stops around Cody High in the mornings and after- noons to deter fights, robberies and other acts of violence. "It is the responsibility of the residents - those that live here - to create a safe environment," Colbert said. "The solution and answer is you." I I FOLLOW THE DAILY ON TWITTER @Michigan Daily MIKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT CAREER TRAINING. MONEY FOR COLLEGE. AND AN ENTIRE TEAM TO HELP YOU SUC CEED. Serving part-time in the Air National Guard, you'll have an entire team of like-minded individuals who want to help you get ahead. You can choose from nearly 200 career specialties, and develop the high-tech skills you need to compete in today's world. You also train close to home, all while receiving a steady paycheck, benefits and tuition assistance. Talk to a recruiter today, and see how the Michigan Air National Guard can help you succeed. 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