The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS
DETROIT
Government steps
up Jeep Liberty air
bag investigation
Federal safety regulators have
stepped up their investigation
into the Jeep Liberty SUV after
50 people reported they were
hurt when the air bags inflated
even though the vehicle wasn't
involved in a crash.
The National Highway Traf-
fic Safety Administration started
investigating Liberty SUVs made
by Chrysler Group LLC from the
2002 and 2003 model years in
September. The investigation was
upgraded to a full engineering
analysis last week.
Documents on the agency web-
site say Chrysler and regulators
have gotten 87 complaints of air
bags going off by surprise. Nearly
387,000 vehicles are under inves-
tigation.
JUNEAU, Alaska
Alaska rep. urges
federal takeover of
Central Park
When Alaska state Rep. Kyle
Johansen penned a resolution
to urge the federal government
to take over New York's Central
Park, he may not have expected*
a hearing on the issue let alone a
mention in The New York Times.
But he's got both.
The resolution from Johan-
sen, a Ketchikan Republican, first
reported by The Associated Press,
was highlighted in the Times'
City Room blog last week. And
the House Resources Committee
planned yesterday afternoon to
discuss HJR 31, which argues the
federal government's hold on the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
is akin to labeling Central Park
a wilderness area and halting
future improvements or develop-
ment there.
Public attention is all the reso-
lution will generate for now. One
of the bill's co-sponsors, Rep. Eric
Feige af Chickaloon, co-chair of
the Resources Committee, decid-
ed to hold the bill yesterday in
committee pending further dis-
cussion.
OSLO, Norway
Two found guilty
of plotting attack
against newspaper
Two men were found guilty
yesterday of involvement in an
al-Qaida plot to attack a Danish
newspaper that caricatured the
Prophet Muhammad, the first
convictions under Norway's anti-
terror laws.
A third defendant was acquit-
ted of terror charges but convict-
ed of helping the others acquire
explosives.
Investigators say the plot was
linked to the same al-Qaida plan-
ners behind thwarted attacks
against the New York subway
system and a shopping mall in
Manchester, England, in 2009.
TEHRAN, Iran
Iran: Nuclear
0 inspectors can
extend their visit
Iran's official news agency
reports that the country's foreign
minister has said that inspectors
from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog
can extend an ongoing visit to the
Islamic Republic.
Yesterday's report by IRNA
says All Akbar Salehi told Turk-
ish TRT TV in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, that the three-day visit
by International Atomic Energy
Agency inspectors that started
Sunday can be extended "if they
The remarks appear to be
part of a show of flexibility and
transparency by Tehran dur-
ing the IAEA inspection tour,
which could greatly influence the
direction and urgency of U.S.-led
efforts to rein in Iran's ability to
enrich uranium.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
SUSTAINABLE
From Page 1
family of businesses previously
kept its practices "just above"
the laws mandating environ-
mental protection standards.
However, it wasn't until
last October that Henry per-
suaded the managing partners
of Zingerman's to sign a vision
that dictated the future of the
company's environmental sus-
tainability. She said educating
employees and management
about sustainability composed
a major part of her work.
To spur the organization's
sustainable efforts, Zinger-
man's began to examine its
operating standards and how
to best improve them., Henry
said the company also consult-
ed with individual workers for
guidance on how to make Zing-
erman's more environmentally
friendly.
"The only way to do efficien-
cy studies is not to have some-
one from the outside looking at
it, but have every single person
on the floor looking at how can
I do my job better," Henry said.
Zingerman's first environ-
mental effort was composting.
According to Henry, each of
Zingerman's businesses has its
own composting operations and
the goal of the program at Zing-
erman's is to start composting
meat scraps instead of throwing
them out.
The company also started
using more green cleaning
products, and now buys con-
centrated products with less
packaging - saving upward of
$30,000, Henry said.
Henry added that ensur-
ing cost effectiveness while
embarking on a "green" path is
crucial to maintaining the suc-
cess of the business.
"You can't do a sustainable
business plan that doesn't allow
the business to keep going," she
said. "You have to have a return
on investment that is positive.
It is not because we are profit
mongers at all. The business
runs on a 3 to 5-percent profit
margin ... it is just about having
enough profit to keep going."
Once the company saw mon-
ey-saving changes from making
the switch to environmentally
friendly cleaning products,
management started looking
for additional ways to reduce
waste.
Zingerman's is working on
improving heat insulation at
Zingerman's Bakehouse, the
company's bakery business,
which is undergoing a full-scale
energy audit. Henry said the
saved energy could be used to
provide air conditioning in the
summer, but this is still in the
works because of engineering
and funding complexities.
She noted that the heat
recapture project is emblematic
of Zingerman's environmental
goals as they are in the process
of fulfilling their vision they set
in October.
ORGANIC FOOD A
MAINSTAY AT CO-OP
Since 1971, the People's Food
Co-op - a small grocery store
located in Kerrytown -has
placed a major emphasis on
environmental sustainability
The co-op used to consist
of two stores, one on Packard
Street and one in Kerrytown,
before eventually merging into a
single store in the 1990s. Kevin
Sharp, interim general manager,
said the loss was tough but nec-
essary, as it enabled the owners
to better provide environmen-
tally sustainable products for
the community.
"It is just an inherent part of
what we do," Sharp said. "Forus,
to not do it is not an option."
Over the years, the co-op has
faced competition from other
grocery stores, but it never par-
ticularly worries Sharp.
"We are never going to com-
pete with the other stores,"
Sharp said. "We keep trying to
do what we do the best we can
... the real difference between us
and another store is that we are
a co-op, and people get to have
some say and ownership in their
food source."
Sharp said this sense of own-
ership and the products provid-
ed at the store gives the co-op a
unique market niche.
TheAnnArborFarmer's Mar-
ket also plays into building the
co-op's place in the community.
Sharp said many people view it
as a Saturday morning ritual to
first visit the Farmer's Market
and then pick up the rest of their
groceries at the co-op.
The co-op strives to be as,
sustainable as possible in its
product choice, as it stocks
about 3,000 certified organic
productions. Additionally, it
works with a network of about
18 to 20 local farmers - some of
whom the company has worked
with since its formation - sup-
porting the farming community
with over half a million dollars
in purchases.
With its mission to provide
environmentally sustainable and
natural foods, the People's Food
Co-op often incurs slightly high-
er costs. However, Sharp con-
tended that the co-op's prices are
competitive with other markets.
"We fully acknowledge that
natural foods are expensive," he
said. "But our prices are com-
petitive."
Sharp hopes that the co-op
educates people allout sustain-
ability and encourages them to
do live a mor environmentally-
friendly lifestyle.
"The idea is to do more," he
said. "(Because) we are not all
going to be experts in sustain-
ability."
REPORT
From Page 1
reported to the University in
May, but was dismissed by the
UMHS Office of the General
Counsel due to lack of evidence.
Fitzgerald said the case was
then reopened and fully investi-
gated in November.
"Once these allegations were
reported properly in Novem-
ber to the Department of Public
Safety, they were immediately
investigated, and the prosecu-
tor authorized criminal charges
against the resident who was
involved," Fitzgerald said.
The internal report, obtained
by The Michigan Daily, revealed
that the investigation was
stalled due to a number of issues
involving the line of responsibil-
ity and communication between
authorities.
"DPS and hospital security
have strong policies and pro-
cedures for their individual
departments, but weak commu-
nication protocols between the
two departments," the report
stated.
In a blog post yesterday, Ora
Pescovitz, the University's exec-
utive vice president for medical
affairs, called the incident "a
painful moment in our history,"
and she wrote that an investiga-
tion is being conducted to deter-
mine faults in the University's
reporting systems to ensure a
similar incident doesn't occur
again.
PRESIDENT
From Page 1
tuition could be lowered, and I
think a lot of students can relate
to that."
According to plan, Beckman
was to leave the stage after
introducing Obama, but the
president surprised her with
a handshake and a kiss on the
cheek before her exit.
"(The kiss on the cheek) was
incredible," Beckman said. "I
wasn't expecting that, but it was
great, obviously ... I think for-
ever, that will be my good side."
Before taking the stage, Beck-
man also had the opportunity
to meet the president. She said
Obama joked about not wear-
ing maize and blue and gave her
words of encouragement.
"He pulled me aside to ask me
about what I was studying... and
how I liked school and how it's
going," Beckman said. "He was
very down to earth ... and he told
me that he could tell I was going
to do agood job, and then he told
me, 'I'll see you up there."'
Central Student Government
President DeAndree Watson
spoke before Beckman on Friday
and described the experience as
an "honor." In his speech, Wat-
son discussed the importance of
"The creation, use and dis-
tribution of child pornography
is appalling on every level, and
in situations like this when
there are mistakes in how such
a situation was handled, human
nature makes us want to quickly
identify and resolve the prob-
lem," Pescovitz wrote. "Howev-
er, jumping to quick conclusions
and making assumptions with
partial information isn't the
answer. That's why the Uni-
versity is engaged in a compre-
hensive review into what went
wrong in this particular case."
Pescovitz wrote that the
review was a priority for her
and the University and it would
allow UMHS to reform its pro-
tocols. Pescovitz specifically
noted that UMHS remains
dedicated to protecting its
"most vulnerable" patients. She
encouraged UMHS employees
to promptly report "inappropri-
ate" incidents.
"It is our collective respon-
sibility to be diligent in report-
ing behaviors and actions that
are inappropriate, and that
we applaud and support those
who have the courage to do so,"
Pescovitz wrote. "It isn't always
easy to speak up, but it is always
the right thing to do. And it is
my and all leadership's respon-
sibility to thoroughly and timely
investigate reported concerns."
Jensen's preliminary hearing
is scheduled for Feb.16, and he is
being charged with four counts
of possessing child sexually
abusive material.
government aid in helping fund
higher education, sharing his
experience as a student in the
Detroit Public School system
dreaming of attending the Uni-
versity.
"I really appreciated the
opportunity, and I was glad I
could do it," Watson said.
Watson said the central mes-
sage of Obama's speech was his
commitment to encouraging the
state to make higher education
a greater priority, something he
said CSG will help students aim
to do as well. He added that Uni-
versity Provost Philip Hanlon
plans to meet with CSG in the
future to discuss the construc-
tion of the University's budget
and the effect state and federal
funding have on tuition costs.
"I'm really excited to see that
(Obama's) committed to ... push-
ing the state to make higher
education a priority," Watson
said. "We really need to push the
state legislature to provide more
funding for education, so what
(CSG is) going to do is provide
the information that students
need ... to start contacting their
state legislatures."
Watson added: "All of those
things are going to happen soon
because we think it's really
important for students to have
their voices heard as well."
DELAYS
From Page 1
uncertain, but may be tied to dif-
ficulties of working outdoors.
According to a Jan. 24 annar-.
bor.com article, Susan Pollay,
executive director of the DDA,
said the remaining work at the
site is dependent on the weather
and moisture in the area, which
may hinder development.
Pollay did not respond to
multiple interview requests
from the Daily.
Regardless of the circum-
stances, Ramlawi said he is
disappointed in how the city is
handling the prolonged delay
and how the construction has
continued to negatively impact
businesses in the area.
City Council member Ste-
phen Kunselman (D-Ward 3)
said he understands the frus-
tration from business owners
who have seen a decrease in
sales because of the project.
"The fact that it is delayed is
unfortunate because we know
it's been very difficult for some
of the local businesses ... as
a council member, I am very
concerned about our local busi-
nesses," Kunselman said.
He added he hopes the proj-
ect will be completed before the
Ann Arbor Art Fairs, which are
scheduled for mid-July. If the
construction is not finished by
that time, Kunselman said it
could be "very concerning" to
both business owners and the
community at large.
"All I can hope is that every-
one involved is working expe-
diently to get the road open as
timely as they can," he added.
LSA freshman Caroline
Rourke said the construction
hasn't personally affected her
as a consumer, but is concerned
about its negative impact on
local businesses.
"Personally, it hasn't really
bothered me ... (but) it's not
okay that this is their third
deadline missed," Rourke said.
"They definitely need to take
action."
At this point, it is unclear
when Fifth Avenue will reopen
to traffic. For now, Ramlawi
said businesses like his are just
"weathering the storm."
TECHNOLOGY
From Page 1
plex mathematical algorithms,
it can process the same amount
of data as a conventional scan-
ner using less X-ray intensity,
therefore allowing the machine
to emit lower doses of radiation.
"We're doing an incred-
ible amount of processing of
the data to make an excellent
quality image out of data with
a lower X-ray dose," Fessler
stated.
Radiology Prof. Ella Kazer-
ooni has used Veo on patients at
the University hospital since it
was first installed in November,
and said it has been greatly suc-
cessful thus far.
"We're seeing similar image
quality at considerably lower
radiation doses," Kazerooni
said. "We really believe what is
behind this technology."
Patients experience no dif-
ference between Veo and the
conventional scanner when
undergoing the scan itself, but
Kazerooni said it takes Veo 50
to 60 minutes to process the
information and construct an
image. The conventional scan-
ner, however, can generate the
image almost immediately.
Because it takes longer to
produce an image using Veo,
Kazerooni said it is only being
used in routine outpatient
procedures when the patient
can afford to wait. For ICU
and emergency room patients,
Kazerooni said a conventional
scanner must be used in order
to generate an image quickly.
Kazerooni stressed .that
the dose of radiation a patient
receives depends on many fac-
tors, including the body part
being examined, the patient's
weight and the clinical question
being investigated. For exam-
ple, body parts like the skull
and pelvis are thick bones that
require more X-rays, and there-
fore higher doses of radiation,
to penetrate the bone..
She added that children and
young adults are at the highest
risk from radiation, while the
risk is less in adults and mini-
mal in older adults aged 30 to
40.
"Those with the highest risk
for any potential downstream
cancer tend to be very young,"
Kazerooni said. "Our efforts here
in our children's and women's
hospital have been very rigorous
in the last seven years to mini-
mize the radiation from the CTs
to children in particular."
Kazerooni said UMHS plans
to add Veo computers to all of its
CT scanners and has requested
these units from General Elec-
tric.
Looking forward, Fes-
sler said he plans to continue
working on Veo technology to
improve its speed in generating
images so that it can be used on
all patients in the future.
"We're continuingtowork on
faster algorithms, and we hope
the next generation of this tech-
nology will be fast enough that
it will only take as long as the
scan itself - maybe a minute or
two - and then it could be used
on every patient for every scan."
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