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Sports 1. For two Michigan runners, the
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One-hundred-thirteen years of editorialfreedom

Monday,June 21,2004
Summer Weekly

www.michigndaily.com Ann Arbor, Michigan m Vol. CXIII, No. 147 ©2004 The Michigan Daily

MCRI opts
*to postpone
petition drive
By Aymar Jean
Daily Staff Reporter
The petition to end race-conscious programs in Michigan,
liberated by a recent court decision and undeterred by
months of crippling disputes, has decided to postpone its
plans for at least two years.
After the state Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the
Michigan Civil Rights Initiative last week and validated the
language of its petition, the group made a difficult and,
some say, inevitable decision of aiming for the 2006 ballot
instead of the one in 2004.
The court ruling culminated a four-month long legal battle
that significantly hampered MCRI's campaign. Unsure
whether the signatures were valid, volunteers had qualms
about distributing petitions, while campaign officials were
reluctant to start paying circulators until a decision came.
Legal ambiguities also impeded fundraising efforts, said state
Rep. Leon Drolet (R-Clinton Twp.), who co-chairs MCRI.
Since the appellate decision came more than a month
after MCRI had anticipated, the campaign faced a July 6
deadline and an insufficient number of signatures.
MCRI Director of Outreach Chetly Zarko said paid circu-
lators were unsure whether they could complete the required
317,757 signatures - and the desired 400,000 signatures -
by the deadline.
A massive push to obtain all those signatures was possible
but not preferable, he added.
"We would've been taking somewhat of a risk by doing
so," Zarko said. "It's something that we didn't want to take a
chance on."
Now MCRI plans to obtain those signatures by October
2004, ii order to get the question of amending the state con-
stitution to eliminate "preferences based on race and gen-
der" on the 2006 ballot.
The seemingly arbitrary date is grounded in Michigan
election law, which specifies that all signatures must be col-
lected within a 180-day period and must be turned in no
later than 140 days before the ballot, MCRI officials said.
MCRI started to obtain large amounts of signatures in
March, which is why they chose to conclude in October.
But both Zarko and Drolet stressed that MCRI is not dor-
mant or inactive. On the contrary, they added, the campaign
is finally picking up steam.
"We're capitalizing on the momentum and on the volun-
teers we have now," Drolet said.
See MCRI, Page 3
LEO ratifies contract with 'U'
* In a meeting Wednesday, the Lecturers '
Employee Organization ratified its "tentative
agreement" with the University.
The membership approved the contract with
354 votes in favor and 14 votes opposed. This
ratification vote shows a 96 percent approval
rate.
The contract with the University is now in
full effect.
Source: Bonnie Halloran
LEO President

A residence at 924 Oakland Street suffered severe damage from a fire in the early morning of Wednesday, June 16, 2004. Multiple members of the
Michigan football team lived in the house but managed to evacuate it before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Mo-r-ning blaze destroys football
players' home, leaves five injured
By Melissa Benton
and Ashley Dinges "Obviously these individuals lost all their possessions,
Daily Staff Reporters going from wallets to every possession they own."
Days after a morning fire destroyed the the
pale yellow, barn-shaped house at 924 Oak- - Assistant Media Relations Director David Ablauf
land Ave. Wednesday, the Ann Arbor Fire
Department continues its investigation into ten outside," Heemstra said. why (they put) him in serious condition,
the origins of the fire, and several victims Although all individuals inside were able to because with inhalation you have to monitor
injured in the blaze have been discharged escape, two residents sustained injuries. (the patient) for a while and see how it devel-
from the University Hospital. Sophomore offensive lineman Jake Long was ops. That's just typical of inhalation injuries,"
AAFD Fire Marshal Ron Heemstra said admitted at University Hospital after smoke Gavin said.
firefighterswere called to the scene at about inhalation, said University Health System Sophomore offensive lineman Patrick
4:00 a.m. and responded within four minutes. spokeswoman Kara Gavin. Sharrow was also treated and released
The caller informed officers that people were Long spent several days in the hospital in Wednesday from the emergency room after
still trapped inside the house, which was serious to fair condition, but has since been jumping out of a second-story window in the
home to several Michigan football players. discharged. house, Gavin said.
"The crews got here, and everyone had got- "Jake (had) inhalation injuries and that's See FIRE, Page 2


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