Some of these criminals will masquerade as driveway re-surfacers. Wow — what luck! They were just down the road finishing a job and just happen to have enough sealant left on the truck to do your driveway.

AnnArbor.com file photo

With a wink and a nod, they will insinuate that their boss won’t even miss the little bit of sealant needed to coat and protect your driveway at a deep discount. The more greedy homeowner will think the worker has gone rogue on his employer and is going to steal a few materials from the boss so they can make a little extra cash. The homeowner will get a great deal at the boss’s expense.

This charming rogue can resurface your driveway for about a third of what real companies in the area will charge. Remember this probably is going to be a cash transaction because your new pal wants to keep it off the books so the boss won’t find out.

So, the homeowner looking for a great deal will agree to the project and then a few things will happen. First of all, the sealant is some watery black paint used to seal perhaps the undercarriage of a vehicle, not the thick tarry goo that really seals an asphalt driveway. Next, there may be a few scoopfuls of cold patch “ to fill in major leaks ” because the scammer did not realize your driveway was in such bad shape.

The unsuspecting victim will be cheated either by faulty repair materials or by extras added to the job and enforced by some rather large, rough-looking pavers who want payment “or else.” Intimidation is used to loosen up the wallet of those looking to get something for next to nothing.

Travelling “barn painters” and cut-rate roofers are another common spring and summer phenomenon. They, like their cousins in the driveway resurfacing business, use faulty materials and scare tactics at the job’s completion to make their criminal living.

Other fly-by-night home repairmen fleece their victims, by asking for some cash upfront for materials and then taking off to pick up the materials and never returning.

Take a look at who you are dealing with. Check the Internet, read the side of the truck for an address and phone number, write down license plate number on their vehicles. Are they from out of state? Copy them down and steer away from them.

The best way to avoid being taken advantage of when you need a home repair is for you to research what you need and drawing up a contract to make it happen. People who come from nowhere, are unsolicited and offer you a great deal on a home repair you don't know if you actually need, are out to make a quick buck and head for the hills.

Other strangers you will soon see in your neighborhoods — and who should be immediately reported to the police — are “students” selling magazine subscriptions. There also will be vacuum salesmen and the guys with pickup trucks with freezers in the back selling steaks and seafood. The meat and seafood is of poor quality — from dubious origins — frozen and thawed several times before it makes it way onto your grill. Call the police on these guys and have them checked out. Many do not have permits to peddle or solicit and many of the individuals hired to go door-to-door also have warrants. Do not hesitate to call 911 to have them checked or be reassured by the dispatcher those persons already have been checked out and are legitimate.

Another warm weather tradition in the area are the guys in the white van selling stereo speakers in strip-mall parking lots. These guys lead the potential customers to believe these are high-end speakers that “fell off a truck” or are otherwise “hot” — more likely stolen — and of course, a great bargain.

The fact of the matter is these guys will have receipts in their van for all the speakers when the police check them out. They scam their victims, by purchasing very cheap, junk speakers and selling them as to greedy people looking for a deal and not caring whether the items are stolen or not, as long as they are getting what they think is something for next to nothing.

The fact of the matter is you get what you pay for. A good basic barometer to determine if you are about to be swindled is this: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is and you are about to be victimized by a con artist.

The elderly and those with mobility issues also should be on the lookout this time of year for the criminals posing as meter-readers or guys from utility companies with unmarked pickup trucks. These guys will have work vests, hard hats and clipboards, hoping to gain access to your home in search of a leaky sewer line, gas line, or any other phoney excuse to target a homeowner not able to get around well in their basement.

They will then either head upstairs to get some tool or will have a partner sneak in and steal envelopes of cash and other valuables seniors have in their kitchens or office areas.

Legitimate utility companies will announce when they will be in the area and for what reason. Their personnel will be in clearly-marked company vehicles.

They will not mind if you call the police to have them checked on. Remember while doing so, to keep these “inspectors” outside until the police check them out or reassure you these workers are legitimate.

Keep your eyes peeled and do not get greedy this summer to avoid victimization.

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

For years my husband and I lived downtown. The numerous and diverse mix of small, independent businesses made it possible for us to do most of our shopping downtown and made it a great place to live. Those days are long gone, obviously. Yet those businesses are what made living and working downtown a joy.

The DDA and City Council should think hard about what it is that makes living in Ann Arbor, and particularly downtown, attractive in the first place before allowing more high-rise development.

The push to make the downtown more “vertical" as a means of containing sprawl, are making the downtown darker with the enormous cast-shadows created by these high-rises. When skyscrapers first appeared in Chicago and New York early in the 20th century, ordinances were passed to require greater setbacks in order to minimize this effect. Our City Council, however, is pushing for buildings right up to the sidewalk, thereby exacerbating the problem.

These projects benefit no one except out-of-town corporate interests. The goose that laid the golden egg is gasping for air, and no one appears to care, except current residents, whose opinions apparently do not count.

Karen Cass Anderson

Ann Arbor

Despite the limited evidence of principles directing the game of Politics, it remains the only acceptable route to democratic governance, so - whatever its problems - we have to make it work. Unfortunately, with so many of its players being courted and supported by goals and a constituency forever focussed on the next election, the system is now more the tactics of the process than its humanitarian goals - a serious blow to the higher moral standards we had once believed were ours.

As a nation whose founding purpose was “to form a more perfect Union” and whose pledge was “to promote the general Welfare,” there is a rich humanitarian tradition attached to our existence - one that is now at odds with much of our current performance. That original commitment to serve the needy of our society, for example, is a tribute to the essence of who we are and have been since our founding, but the likelihood of carrying those responsibilities forward into continuing generations is increasingly sidelined by the tactics chosen for the task.

There is, of course, the complaint of those less needy (in effect, those who would foot the bill) who insist that we simply cannot afford the costs of supporting those who have not the means to do for themselves. Because they see as our first priority the restoration of our country’s economy, they advocate holding off subsidizing many of our national aid programs until the economy improves- a commendable goal as long as the cost of that economic repair is in keeping with the principles that define us. Such an approach in regard to medical treatment, for example, would make more sense if we could also hold off the damaging effects of untreated health problems for that same period. Unfortunately, the damages to the human health system that may result from inattention cannot always be corrected after their onset - which makes the tactic of delay very dangerous.

It is true that a generous nation can do more good for its people when its economy is strong, but the projects themselves must not be sacrificed to that cause. One of the tactics now being pursued in the name of national well-being, for example, is to improve the fiscal health of those industries whose success will likely result in increased employment - an unquestionably commendable goal. Nevertheless, if pursued too aggressively and with a concentration too narrowly focused on the needs and demands of industry, the implementation of such an approach could be very dangerous for our larger society.

A Meals on Wheels volunteer delivers a hot meal.

File Photo

And at the other end of the age scale, funds to keep the aviation industry working efficiently will be paid by budget cuts for Head Start, causing 70,000 children to lose access to that program - during this most critical period in their short lives.

We all applaud building a stronger economy, but the core humanitarian projects dependent on that economy must not be sacrificed to that cause. Federally financed programs providing valuable assistance to the needy are obligations to the people of the nation no less valid than reducing the burdens of taxation may be for those who pay such taxes. However disconnected the privileged and the needy are from each other, the nation - with all its benefits and all its problems - belongs to all its people.

In short, our primary focus should be on the target - not the tactics.

Robert Faber has been a resident of Ann Arbor since 1954. He previously owned a fabric store and later a travel agency. He served a couple of terms on the Ann Arbor City Council. His wife of more than 60 years, Eunice, died March 20. He may be reached at rgfaber@comcast.net.

In addition to the photos and lessons featured above are some other submissions we've received over the past few days. Have a lesson or memory of your mother you'd like to share? Post it in the comments below or submit it using this form.

When I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, I realized the unpredictability of life and initially gave in to constant despair. It was then that my mom taught her greatest lesson- that happiness is not based on an absence of problems. Rather, it is all about our approach in dealing with harsh difficulties. Her hand in mine, she remained steadfast and strong, as I learned to do, with her wisdom as guidance.
-Tracy Carbary

Besides being a loving, interested and available mother with a quick smile, she could pack a suitcase tighter than a can of sardines! We lived overseas during Dad's sabbatical leaves and I observed how she fit items for a family of six into two suitcases. My family comments on my ability to fit anything extra into a suitcase, car, whatever, and I always thank Mom for that perspective.
-Margy Howes

The greatest lesson and the greatest gift that Mom taught and shared with her children was the Gospel of Jesus Christ
-Linda Morrison-Harmon

My mother read to me almost every night as a child. this love of reading which she gave me, I have been able to pass on to my daughters, and also my granddaughter. I love you, mom! Rest well!
-Madeleine Baier

To get an education!
-Chuck Blackmer

Participate in life with your children. She engaged me in local government and lobbying for causes. She marched in a Vietnam anti-war protest with me. We drank flaming Drambuie at a fraternity suite party. And so much more.
-Karen Hart

How to sweet talk a police officer out of giving her a ticket (It didn't work when i tried it)
-Matt Phillips

Trust - You Give - Only to people who are trustworthy.
-Herm Steinman

To love your family.
-Marcus Melendez

Getting old is not for the faint of heart!
-Heidi Dodson

Related: See more "Lessons from Mom" submitted from around the state to MLive.com

The result of that effort is now taking its place on the city skyline, as Ann Arbor City Apartments prepares to take reservations for its 155 units.

Many of the changes are known and obvious to anyone who’s spent any time here at all, and many also have let Ann Arbor grow as a business and entertainment destination.

But amid a recent report that rental rates for the apartments will top out at about $2,675 - except for the 16 units set aside as affordable under federal income guidelines for the city - we think it’s important for the city to consider a few of them:

• The demolition of the former Y - and its very-low income housing - amid promises to replace those bedrooms near downtown.
• The loss of the failed Near North affordable housing project on the northern edge of downtown.
• The redevelopment near campus that’s resulted in high-priced student housing.
• The expectation that some neighborhood rentals on the fringe of the “student area” will return to single-family homes, taking some of the lowest-priced student housing out of the city’s mix.

While we support many aspects of downtown development - including Ann Arbor City Apartments - we also caution that this town needs strong advocates for affordable housing in and near downtown. The solution won’t be easy. But the cost of not listening to concerns about our housing mix could result in the city turning into a gentrified enclave and losing the essence of what drew many people to this town in decades past.

A black band is put over the badge of police officers in memory of West Bloomfield Police Officer Patrick O'Rourke Sept. 14 before the start of his funeral at St. John Evangelist Church in Fenton.

Ryan Garza | MLive

While trying to make contact with that despondent man, to try to save his life, Officer O’Rourke lost his own life. Officer O’Rourke sustained a fatal gunshot wound in the neck. O’Rourke was 39 years old, a 12-year veteran of the West Bloomfield Police Department and left behind a wife and four young children.

Officer O’Rourke was the first officer of the West Bloomfield Police Department killed in the line of duty. He was the only Michigan police officer killed in 2012 but joins 563 other Michigan officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice over the years. Officer O’Rourke was one of 120 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in the United States during 2012, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Have you ever seen a police officer’s badge draped with a black or a black and blue striped ribbon? That is a police officer’s badge of mourning. It may mean several things, but it always means there has been a death in the law enforcement community.

Either an active officer on that department has died whether in the line of duty or not — or — a Michigan police officer has been killed in the line of duty. The badge of mourning is properly worn until the fallen officer has been laid to rest.

Another tradition in some police departments is placing a blue light in a front window of the police station. The timing of the blue light coincides with the traditions as the badge of mourning. It is lit from the time of an officer’s death until their funeral.

I have seen citizens come in to police stations with the lone blue light and approach the front desk to ask about it, when they look at it closer and find the photograph of a police officer under the light with the officer’s name and either “Rest In Peace” or “End of Watch” and the date of death. The citizen then stops, looks at the light and sheepishly either nods at the desk officer or says something like, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Behind the scenes when a Michigan police officer dies, officers pass a hat during briefing or place an envelope for donations on a bulletin board for officers to donate to the family of the officer who died. Similar collections are taken up for officers in peril with debilitating injuries or severe illness. I do not recall many months that went by at the Ann Arbor Police Department where an envelope was not on the board for some officer or their family who needed assistance somewhere in the area.

Those donations envelopes were usually full of cash. I do not remember ever seeing such envelopes at non-police jobs I have held, although I am sure firefighters and military personnel probably fill similar envelopes for families in need.

Next week you may see badges of mourning and blue lights in police stations, but hopefully it will not be for an officer who fell during the week but for those who have gone in the past.

May 15 is National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day and next week is National Police Week. In 1962 President Kennedy and Congress established these two observances, to honor the men and women of law enforcement, like Officer O’Rourke, who lost their lives in the line of duty while protecting us.

In Washtenaw County a ceremony commemorating National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day will take place at 10 a.m. May 15 at the Washtenaw 100 Club Memorial Park on Michigan Avenue at Ballard in Ypsilanti. The Eastern Michigan University Department of Public Safety is the local sponsor for this year’s observance.

Next week, please take a moment to think and perhaps even say a prayer for the men and women of law enforcement. Reflect on the fact that every moment, of every day that you draw breath, there are those who have probably never met you, but have sworn a solemn oath to protect you and perhaps even lay down lives to keep you safe.

In Michigan, the state motto “Tuebor” meaning “we defend” is found on the badge placed over each officer’s heart. Next week, please remember the 564 brave souls who have given their lives to keep that promise and fulfill that oath.

If you are so moved, take the time to send a card of appreciation to your local police department, join the Washtenaw 100 Club (http://washtenaw100.org/index.asp), make a donation to the Thin Blue Line of Michigan (http://www.tblofmi.com) or just give the officer on patrol a smile and friendly wave.

For all the officers, deputies, troopers and agents who protect us: Thank you and stay safe.

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

A mother leads her daughter by the hand at an Earth Day celebration in April, 2013.

AnnArbor.com I Daniel Brenner

This year at AnnArbor.com and MLive we're looking to celebrate motherhood with our readers by collecting "lessons from mom" to feature here on the site and in print. Perhaps it was a lesson about your perspective on life, a specific tip that you still use every day or even something you've passed on to your own children.

Share your responses as well as any photo of your mom using the form below. Please submit your lesson and photo of your mother by noon, Saturday, May 11 to be included in the gallery. Please limit responses to 75 words.

I've been in business downtown since 1972: first, starting the Fleetwood Diner, and then buying Hertler Bros. (now Downtown Home & Garden). More recently, I've founded Mark's Carts and Bill's Beer Garden. Before that, I was hanging out in the bars and pool rooms. I've seen a lot of change.

When I arrived on the scene, the anchor stores like Sears and Montgomery Ward were fleeing to the malls, and soon retail stalwarts Muehlig's, Goodyear's, and Kline's would fail. At one time, there were 12 vacant store fronts, blowing newspapers, drunks lining up to get into the Union Bar at 7AM who were leaning on telephone poles by 10, and hookers working out of the Earle Hotel. Hookers! Add to this desperate picture crumbling parking structures, sidewalks waiting for slip-and-fall suits, rat-infested alleys, very few pedestrians by day and almost none at night. Downtown Ann Arbor, our beloved burbling hub, was a desperate hardscrabble mess.

Downtown was abandoned, and no one was willing to step up and take ownership until the Downtown Development Authority was created in 1982 and a long process of investment in infrastructure began. It would still be a failed downtown if the DDA over 30 years hadn't virtually rebuilt every parking structure, fixed sidewalks, put lights in alleys and repaved them. They created a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere by providing benches, flower boxes, intimate lighting, bike racks, and murals. Winos have been replaced with smiling families and children skipping ahead down the sidewalk, eager to take advantage of all downtown has to offer.

The reason Council let downtown fall apart decades ago is simple politics. Municipalities never have enough resources to satisfy all their constituents and the downtown area, while highly visible, doesn't have enough votes to wrestle money from other worthy entities like schools, parks, and neighborhoods. What the DDA has done is advocate for downtown and get us a fair share of the funding. And my view isn't merely self-serving. The robust culture, the hipness of downtown, is what attracts visitors from all over Michigan. High-tech businesses are also dependent on a hip local culture to attract the skilled employees they need in order to prosper.

As downtown goes, so goes the City.

Further, if playing a seminal roll in turning around the downtown isn't enough payback, remember that in flush times the DDA already sends back buckets of money to the City. In voting on the funding mechanism for the DDA, I hope Council gets beyond political gamesmanship and thinks hard about the long term interests of the City. As far as I can tell, the DDA is the golden goose that has transformed downtown Ann Arbor into a thriving small business hub, a destination for tourists, and an inspiring new high-tech corridor. Let's not strangle it.

Mark Hodesh

I’m not alone in that line of questioning.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

This property - 38 acres, assembled into a single parcel more than a decade ago - started as a vision for extending downtown. Homes, businesses and riverfront recreation all belonged there in that original plan. It was ambitious and defining, and it cost the city millions before evaporating.

Developers couldn’t make the numbers work. The Great Recession descended upon Michigan. And Ypsilanti was left with a much larger than projected $30 million in debt on the acreage.

So what makes sense there?

As I stood near the southern edge of the property, I understood the complexity facing the city as it sought to determine that answer since the 1990s.

The Huron River makes it feel purely like recreational land. Yet its northern edge borders US-12 and the visibility of that high-traffic corridor, creating tension between prospective building and enduring open space.

That sense of “this or that” permeates every aspect of Water Street.

The push to sell land and spur development. The urge to step back and plan what’s there.

The sense that it’s a unique parcel, yet it’s not the only large tract available: There are expanses of vacant acreage along Factory Street and east at the township border for a developer looking for space.

The willingness of Washtenaw County to build a recreation center there as a “first in” project. The rejection of it, as others say it shouldn’t be on that property at all or in a prominent spot.

The years-long real estate listing as the city sets a priority for dense development. The renewed interest in master plan revisions amid calls for priority shift.

The natural beauty. The contamination that awaits cleanup.

The widespread marketing of commercial space. Community concerns over the two businesses that wanted to buy land: First, Burger King; now Family Dollar.

I can’t disagree that Water Street presents a special opportunity to the city of Ypsilanti. And that’s why I walked the property. I spent years driving past it; before that, I spent years working in one of the buildings demolished to clear its way. And in all of those years working there, I had no idea of the natural beauty just north of my own offices.

That makes me hope that the city can take that step: That it can afford to pause, set priorities and deliver them.

But I’m concerned about saying that, too. The property has been listed for sale for years; that listing is still online as an active development opportunity in the city. As the economy rebounds, Ypsilanti will be in a better position than it has been in the last five years to find buyers for this property. But will there be potential buyers - for commercial, for residential, for recreation - as the city resets what it wants there?

The property has had a vision for years, too. We’ve had council members direct the real estate agents toward density; toward commercial entities; toward generating taxable value.

Before that, there were consultants and downtown visioning sessions. I’ve been to at least one Water Street charrette. For more than a decade, everything that some people wanted on this property, others didn’t.

The polarization is now paralysis.

In the meantime, the debt is real: At this point, a city of 19,435 people owe an amount equal to $1,543 each on the vacant property.

What makes sense for Water Street? So far, with the stated goals and subsequent contradictions, the answer may never yield clarity then action.

The Ypsilanti community is likely to get exactly what it’s had there for years: Nothing, but with fewer choices.

Paula Gardner is editor of AnnArbor.com. Contact her by email or follow her on Twitter.

At the time, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman called it a “serious failure on the part of our institution.”

Last week, an AnnArbor.com review of documents released by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office showed how a lack of coordination and communication among several units responsible for safety and security on campus allowed the investigation to be shut down without police involvement.

Ultimately, Stephen Jenson, the resident who brought the pornography to the hospital on a thumb drive, was sentenced to three years in prison, but the reporting lapse allowed him to avoid prosecution for six months.

Since the discovery of the reporting delay, the university has taken several steps to make sure such an incident does not happen again. We applaud those measures, which include creating a new division of Public Safety and Security to foster better coordination between police and security divisions on campus.

But we’re troubled that the university continues to insist publicly that one person was largely responsible for the mishandling of the case. At least eight people, some in high-ranking positions, knew about the discovery of the child pornography and none of them took responsibility for going to the police. Such behavior shows a “not-my-job” mentality that reflects poorly on the individuals and the institution.

We also believe the university, as a publicly funded institution accountable to the public, should go further than it has in revealing the findings of external reviews into the university’s handling of the case.

As well as conducting an internal review of the reporting lapse, the university paid for two external reviews, one by campus security experts Margolis Healy that cost $120,000 and another by law firm Latham & Watkins that cost $487,000. Although the university has released the results of the internal review and the Margolis Healy report, it has cited attorney-client privilege in not releasing the Latham & Watkins report.

While we understand the university’s desire to shield itself from legal claims, we believe this case is so important to public safety and public trust in the university that U-M should release the full report.

A mayor's job is to set the priorities so that basic city services are delivered and to build consensus around a vision of what is required long-term to keep the city vibrant with a high quality of life. That is not happening today in Ann Arbor.

We must assure our basic services: fire and emergency medical services that meet national standards; a police car in front of your door in a reasonable number of minutes to help in an emergency situation; and roads that are in good repair. They must meet the current and future needs of the city and keep it safe to traverse by car, bicycle, or on foot, or we risk everything.

To be clear, Ann Arbor is a great town, but our fire department doesn't meet national standards for fire and emergency medical services response times; our police are reactive and not staffed to proactively solve crimes; 56% of our roads are in poor condition; some parts of our road and alternative transportation infrastructure that should have been built long ago are still missing and our crosswalk ordnance seems to reduce safety for pedestrians and motorists.

Ann Arbor needs more money in the General Fund to properly staff the city’s fire and EMS services to get them to national standards. Once benchmarking data on police services is finally developed, we may need more funding for our police to be able to meet acceptable service levels.

Properly funding fire safety and emergency medical services, police and roads should be our #1, #2 and #3 priorities, not an afterthought. We aren't attending carefully enough to the basics and, if things continue to deteriorate and Ann Arbor falls further below par, the quality of life in Ann Arbor will suffer.

Despite these unaddressed problems, our mayor's priority is fighting to preserve a taxing structure that allows a projected increase of $1 million more a year in funds to flow to the Downtown Development Authority.

The DDA's priorities as expressed during the debate on this topic are adding elevators and retail to the Williams Street Garage, paying for a sewer improvement to help develop the Y Lot into a tall building, and replacement of street lights on South Main.

However, they shouldn't even rate a last place "10" on the list of top 10 priorities. High on that list would also be other key infrastructure like clean water, waste pickup, disposal and sewers.

Former Mayor Lou Belcher recently made a statement discussing how upside down our city leadership's priorities are today. Here is what he wrote:

"Priorities, set by importance, are the only way to operate anything, whether it is a government, a business, or a family. For any city, the government's first priority MUST be the health and safety of its citizens. Just ask them.

“… We built the sixth and last fire station to meet the four minute response goal and it is, in my opinion, very bad policy to dismantle the very infrastructure that supports what should be a number one priority. When the money runs out you stop on the last priority and, if you have money left, give it back to those who gave it to you.”

The mayor, who also sits on the DDA and sets its goals, is fighting for the DDA’s priorities, all of which are of lower priority than the city’s as a whole. This is not for the best interests of the citizens, which is to get more money to the General Fund to properly fund basic services.

The seven members of city council who voted April 1st to reallocate the projected $1 million per year of extra funds that would otherwise go to the DDA are correct and the mayor is wrong.

(Stephen Lange Ranzini is president of University Bank in Ann Arbor, where he lives. He's also an occasional columnist on AnnArbor.com.)

Forty years ago, Ann Arbor Public Schools already understood what it was like to grow up under difficult circumstances. In 1973 the Ann Arbor Board of Education agreed that a specialized educational program was necessary to support teens that were unable to be successful in the traditional high school format.

Over a 21- year period, Roberto Clemente Student Development Center evolved from a program that existed as a “school within a school” (at Forsythe Middle School), to a building located outside of Belleville, to an elementary school in rural Pittsfield Township, to the building that Roberto Clemente resides in today.

Ann Arbor Public Schools invested its resources to bring this much needed program from its beginnings when teachers provided students transportation to a far-flung location, all the way to today with a school they can call their own.

Do we citizens of Ann Arbor think that today’s teens have fewer problems than in 1973? We need to ask ourselves why suddenly it seems to be a good idea to shut down the Roberto Clemente School building and return to 1973. If the program had worked well then, would the Board of Education have found a need to build the new Roberto Clemente School in 1995?

Ann Arbor Public Schools’ budget crisis has seen Roberto Clemente as “low-hanging fruit”. The students and families involved in this program are less likely to adequately speak out in support of their life changing and, yes, life-saving, program. Despite the concern these families feel for their struggling children, most are ill equipped to lobby against much larger, more popular programming within the district. A great many of these students are either minorities, economically disadvantaged, learning disabled, mentally disabled or led by homes with only one parent.

Do you know how much this “low-hanging fruit” is worth? The highest estimate is about $340,000, the value of a mortgage for many Ann Arbor residents. The overall budget deficit numbers for the AAPS is estimated to be about $9 million dollars. Imagine hobbling 40 years of life-transformational efforts to save $340,000. Imagine the actual “real life” costs our community would pay if we chose to marginalize the essence of this school.

The proceedings of the last school board meeting might have you convinced that the relocation of Roberto Clemente has been taken off the table. A closer look reveals the decision is being delayed until the administration completes a redistricting study. Roberto Clemente School is a valuable asset to our community. Relocating this school and sending it back to 1973 will undermine its essence. Please consider signing our petition addressed to the AAPS Board of Education: “Roberto Clemente: A Powerful Program that Serves Our Students-at-Risk”.

Nancy Kupina
Ann Arbor

Our current downtown zoning regulations contain a mistake - they fail to adequate provide for the interface of huge developments with our neighborhoods, especially our historic neighborhoods like the Historic Fourth Ward. Mistakes happen; the city leadership, as good as they are, are not perfect or clairvoyant. But why compound the mistake?

A recent rendering of the proposed 413 E. Huron development.

First, once denied the developers may realize that the student residential market is indeed saturated and new downtown residential construction should target young professionals and baby boomers who want to live downtown. The developers may well start over with a more modest proposal for a different market, on the same site.

Second, if they file a lawsuit, they will lose. Many lawyers have told City Council that the developers have no vested legal interest in the project until there is “shovel in the ground”. The city is on solid legal ground to reject the project. The developers must do more than comply with zoning laws. They must also follow the other city guidelines and rules that are meant to safeguard the integrity and character of our fine city.

Third, losing a lawsuit would not be the worst outcome. The worst outcome would be 100 years of a building 165% the size of the new Varsity going up on the same Huron Street block. If the council approves the building, the chances are 100% that that bad outcome will be realized.

But if the council stands up for the city, the negative consequences to the city are speculative and may be zero. Even if there were a lawsuit and even if a court awarded damages (both of which are far from certain), the damages, if any, would be an acceptable cost for correcting the zoning mistake and safeguarding the character of our beloved community. Spread the dollar cost of any damage award over a hundred years of the blight of the new building, and it is a fair trade-off, a fair price to pay to correct a city planning mistake. Even if damages were as large as $100,000, risking $1000 per year as compared with the certainty of the defilement of this ugliness, is the reasonable choice. I urge City Council to have the courage to protect our city and vote NO

Don Duquette is an attorney and a nearly 40 year resident of Ann Arbor. He and his wife Kathy recently moved to a condo downtown -- and love it.

I was hunkered way down in my car seat, doing my best to look like an unoccupied parked car. On this particular surveillance I did not have the “eye” — direct observation of the target’s door or car — but was waiting for the target to move. There is an old surveillance officer adage reflecting the endless hours of boredom, inactivity and confinement in a car followed by sheer excitement— “We do the time, until they do the crime.” Such was the case on this warm evening until the call came over the police radio.

Sliding glass doors should be pinned at the top to prevent the whole sliding panel from being lifted out of the track and a dowel rod or “charlie bar” can be placed in the lower track to allow air in and keep intruders out.

File photo by: J. Kawula

Andy, a sharp, solid, second-generation cop volunteered and was the nearest patrol unit and given the call. He was only about a minute away. Backup units also were assigned.

The dispatcher gave the rest of the information, “Citizen reports a subject wearing dark pants and a dark hooded sweatshirt (they did not call them “hoodies” back then) just pulled off a screen and entered a beige house on the west side of Ingalls through a window near the front door.” A home invasion in progress is a big deal call. I was right on top of it, a block or two away.

I radioed, “One-0-five, I’m arrival on Ingalls, plainclothes (insert description of my clothing to avoid a “friendly fire” situation).”

“All units, emergency radio traffic only, we have a plainclothes officer out at a B & E,” the dispatcher responded.

“One-0-five…confirming I have a screen off a front porch window and the front door is ajar at (the address which all these years later I cannot remember). I’ll be standing by,” I whispered into my portable radio.

The front door being ajar meant the thief entered the house, unlocked the front door and opened it slightly in case he had to make a swift retreat. That meant that this guy was a “professional.” It also gave us a way into the home.

Andy arrived on scene in seconds and we went in. For young officers reading this; we should have waited a minute more for backup, set up a perimeter — to block a suspect’s escape — and made sure only uniformed officers conducted the interior search. Further complicating matters was the fact that surveillance officers normally only need a puny penlight, not a large gazillion candlepower flashlight necessary for suspect searches in a crime scene.

Prior to entering the home, I broke the news to Andy about not having a flashlight. He just grinned as if to say, “Dipstick detective wannabe” nodded his head toward the door and we went in.

We entered and yelled, “POLICE. ANN ARBOR POLICE.” Andy shown his light around the living room, which was a big open area and we headed toward the hall where there was a closed bedroom door off to our right.

I was behind Andy still in the living room as he opened the door. He pointed his flashlight into the room and over a woman sleeping in her bed. I never verbalized it to Andy but I was surprised this young co-ed had not been awakened by our shouts of “POLICE.”

Then I saw a dark flash zip past me, off to my left. I was not even positive I saw anything, and I did not consciously hear anything, but I reacted by running back to the front door.

The suspect was at the door trying to pull it open to escape. I slammed the intruder with everything I had into the door, which opened inward. This shut the door and knocked the wind out of the suspect. I heard something clunk onto the floor off to the right of the door. I pulled the suspect off the door with one hand, because my gun was in the other and rode him down onto the living room floor. Andy came over and we handcuffed the guy.

Other officers arrived and the rest of the house was checked. No other suspects were inside and I do not think there were any other residents except the one woman, who was now wide awake and terrified.

The clunk on the floor had been a knife the suspect had in his hand. That predator also had a pair of women’s undergarments in his pocket so it was clear he was not just a thief.

This incident illustrates a problem we must address with the blessed arrival of spring and summer temperatures — windows and doors opened to catch a cool breeze.

The most vulnerable windows and doors are at ground level or below where anyone can climb in, if a screen is removed or cut and the opening is big enough for a human. Sliding doors on balconies above ground also are at risk is someone can climb up or over from another neighbor’s balcony or deck.

We had a guy on the west side of Ann Arbor who once went from balcony to balcony on the sixth floor of high-rise to burglarize his neighbor’s apartments. The neighbors had left their door walls open and screens unlocked because they were on the sixth floor and felt no one would be so crazy as to climb balcony to balcony that high up. In their defense, we cops did not think so either, but it happened.

If you have central air conditioning, security is a no-brainer — keep all your doors and windows locked at all times. If you are not so lucky and have to keep your home open to outside breezes you must try to keep the openings as small as possible to keep intruders out.

One answer is to close and lock all doors and “pin” windows. For windows that slide open, pins inserted into holes drilled in the window track or windows premade with spring-loaded latches can allow a breeze in and block the window from being opened all the way.

Sliding glass doors should be pinned at the top to prevent the whole sliding panel from being lifted out of the track and a dowel rod or “charlie bar” can be placed in the lower track to allow air in and keep intruders out.

Crank windows should be set so that they are not wide enough to allow someone in. The object on all windows and doors is to make a thief take time and have to “work” at getting in or cause them to make a lot of noise to gain entry.

Do not place valuables within arm’s length of a window even if it is pinned. If you must leave a ground level window open, place a number of your loud, inexpensive, tall, heavy — so the wind does not blow them over — knickknacks that will fall and make noise if someone tries to enter. Keep bushes trimmed low around windows and entryways.

Alarms, dogs, security lighting, private security and observant involved neighbors are also options to keep intruders out.

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

I have been a nurse at St. Joe's Mercy Health System for the last 36-plus years. The last 25 years were spent as a nurse who worked at the breast center, located in the Women’s Health Center.

After being terminated from a job, mixed feelings are bound to come up.

AnnArbor.com photo

Unfortunately, I have been terminated due to an extended medical leave of absence. As of March 20, I am no longer employed there. My life is now filled with fear, anxiety and uncertainty daily because I am too young to retire. I had planned to work another seven to eight years at the breast center before I retired.

My husband lost his job as a painter (with no benefits) and now we may lose everything we have worked for our entire lives. We will have no benefits or income as of March 30. I know this is not uncommon nowadays, and my heart goes out to everyone out there who is faced with the same things my husband and I are. The thought of losing everything we have, especially our house, scares me to death.

I have terrible feelings about St. Joe's now, while in the past I was so proud to say I worked there.

On a positive note, there’s a few things I need to say. First of all a big, heartfelt thank you to all the staff at the Michigan Orthopedic Surgery Center at St. Joe's who showed me such love and care in March when I had surgery for a torn rotator cuff.

From the minute I arrived, I met wonderful staff members, from the front desk till when I was wheeled out after surgery. I could not have been treated any better. They all truly cared about me and what I was going through in my life right now.

I don’t remember all your names, but you know who you are and should be proud of the work you do. Again, I thank you with all my heart. Secondly, I need to mention all my co-workers, past and present, from the breast center — my other family. I miss you guys so much. The excellent care I saw you all give each and every day definitely will pave all your ways to heaven.

Dealing with breast cancer everyday just tears your heart out, and I know that because of you, our patients never felt they were alone in dealing with the horrible diagnosis of breast cancer. The many hugs I saw given out every day were for the most part the first steps taken in fighting and hopefully beating the cancer that affects young and old alike. Thanks to each and every one of you who will always mean the world to me.

Lastly, I want to thank all the patients — my girls — who I have met during the last 25 years. You have all taught me so much about life and also about myself. I love you all very much and will never forget any of you. Char O’Bara

South Lyon

In the early hours after the attack on the Boston Marathon, I thought about the fear factor on the participants and supporting public.

Participants smile at each other during the first lap of a run in honor of the Boston Marathon on Saturday, April 20.

AnnArbor.com I Daniel Brenner

Then, when I received an email from a former college roommate still living in Romania expressing a sincere concern about our runners’ well-being, I reached to my friends who were part of the marathon and I felt some relief knowing that they were not directly harmed. My prayers stayed and will remain with all the families who heavily suffered and had their lives shattered forever by this despicable attack.

We are subjected to various natural disasters and unfortunate accidents, such as the recent explosion at the fertilizer factory in Texas and yes, we are affected by the loss of life and we pray for everybody suffering because of it. But intentional harm on innocent human beings gathered to cherish life should be strongly denounced by anyone and specifically by the U.S. religious leaders who shall have the additional burden to crash in infancy the radicalization of their belief — wherever it may sprout from.

As an immigrant who greatly benefitted from what America has to offer, I cannot and will not stand still and accept such pain inflicted on my fellow Americans without reflecting on these events. Why and how can we —those who are offered the opportunities of America — turn against the hand that provided protection to us against totalitarian regimes and allowed us to enjoy a better economic outlook in life? America did not force us to embrace her ideals and does not stop us going back from where we came from.

What is troubling me the most is that, in spite of unmistaken facts, someone, even being a family member of those responsible for this attack, can disregard them and issue appalling accusations that this is an FBI frame-up….

As a cancer patient and the race director of our Ann Arbor’s Gallup Gallop, I invite all my community fellows to stand tall, work together and show support for causes that we care for. Let’s run together for life and the common good, wherever our trails may take us to.

As a naturalized citizen, I will never waver on my credo:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Hate kills - let’s run away from it!

Victor Dobrin

Ypsilanti

Rooting for our favorite teams as they do battle gives us the pleasures of competition without the embarrassment or exhaustion of participation and defeat. And during the game we can cheer or sneer according to our mood of the moment, without the remorse of having chosen badly. It is, after all, only a game and more than the identity of the winners or losers, it is the thrill of the chase that excites and satisfies us.

Just winning or losing - that is what it’s all about.

Now, fast approaching the magnetic appeal of professional sports is the drama of national political contests as the most interesting and spirited games in town. And as with athletic contests, it is the struggle itself that excites us more than the contestants or the consequences.

Unlike sporting events where there is a clear winner, politicians must not focus too heavily on the victory.

Unfortunately, although an aggressive pursuit of victory enlivens the world of competitive sports, using those standards to run our country is a much more dangerous game. Because the primary goal in professional sports is to glorify the players and enrich their sponsor, the difference between victory and defeat is of limited consequence, but the repercussions of victory or defeat in political games go far beyond the playing field.

The impact in the games of politics are infinitely more consequential and yields a much more significant and lasting impact on our world.

Those contests are an essential part of the process by which the democratic principles, as envisioned by our Founders, were to shape this new nation.

The standards they set, spelled out in the Preamble to our Constitution, foresaw “a more perfect Union” focused on “Justice [and] the Blessings of Liberty...“ Unfortunately, in our zeal we seem to have lost the primary point of the exercise, overlooking the sanctity of “the general welfare” and replacing its noble purpose with competitive contests to please a more limited and influential segment of the population, substituting their personal gain for our founding principles.

For a nation to serve the goals sought by our Founders and embraced by our earliest citizens, there must be an objective beyond victory for its own sake.

There should be a moral or philosophical basis for our candidates’ political preferences and legislative performances. Campaigns should include more than just tactics for success - they should reflect the goals of governance on behalf of the entire nation. Whether those solutions are shaped by conservative or liberal philosophies, the focus must be on the well-being of the people - not simply on re-election.

Several decades ago I had the privilege of serving on our City Council, a task to which we all devoted a vast number of hours each week - for no pay beyond the satisfaction of serving our community.

Election to the U.S. Congress is an event rare and wonderful in the life of a patriot, filled with the glory of serving their fellow citizens. But they get paid - as they should.

Unfortunately, they also get paid as they should not - much too often by lobbyists representing industries or businesses who will profit by their actions.

In his second Inaugural Address in 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt reminded us that, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little,” adding that, “Government is competent when all who compose it work as trustees for the whole people.”

Not a bad principle by which to govern.

Robert Faber has been a resident of Ann Arbor since 1954. He previously owned a fabric store and later a travel agency. He served a couple of terms on the Ann Arbor City Council. He may be reached at rgfaber@comcast.net.

For a career-police officer, I have never seen such an outpouring of gratitude. The scene unfolding on television was surreal. Thousands of weary local, state and federal law enforcement officers, driving all manners of police cars, vans, SUVs and armored personnel carriers barely could navigate through that Boston suburb’s streets because of the joyous crowds that had spilled off the sidewalks to cheer and shake hands with this departing army of cops. That was a scene of a victorious army parading through a liberated community.

Leading a happy life is the best thing Americans can do following such attacks on their country.

This was an American celebration. For five days we all watched with horror various images that had unfolded after the terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon — from plums of smoke and a senior marathoner knocked off his feet by the first bomb’s pressure wave to Americans rendering aid, assistance and comfort to victims horribly maimed by homemade bombs deposited by misguided sociopaths.

Those images we saw of the bombings and the desperate race against time to catch the murderers before they could kill again was a nation’s collective battle. Thousands of law enforcement officers tried to put the puzzle together to solve the crime. They analyzed countless thousands of tips, photographs, video images and shreds of evidence supplied by victims, witnesses, bystanders, citizens and the crime scenes themselves.

Those small pieces of information supplied by citizens, who truly are the eyes and ears of law enforcement, came together last Thursday and Friday in Watertown. That celebration in the streets was for the cops, for Boston and for our nation that had just won an internationally-significant battle in the unfortunately continuing global war on terrorism.

We as Americans are at our best and closest to each other when things are at their worst. When the chips are down we come together as a nation. We Americans may get knocked down or our nose bloodied, but when we stand together as a nation we are a force to be reckoned with.

Remember Pearl Harbor in World War II? Remember how 9/11 brought us together as a nation? Remember in our own backyard, last year’s tornado in Dexter? Americans come together in times of crisis to overcome whatever adversity lies before them and help their neighbors.

I was told an interesting law enforcement story about 9/11 that demonstrated a small part of this spirit. Several officers told me that when the World Trade Center Towers fell on 9/11, several New York area organized crime figures, who were constant targets of surveillance, came out and spoke to agents assigned to their cases.

Boston Marathon 2013

AP photo

The mobsters supposedly told the agents it wasn’t the cops versus the crooks that day. The old wise-guys told the agents they were not just criminals, they were Americans and Americans had to stand together on that day. The mobsters promised there would be no problems with labor or resources at the World Trade Center. They pledged that anything that was needed to dig out and look for victims would be there and in a hurry.

I can not prove the story, but I believe those who told it to me. I also believe it because that is the incredible and sometimes unorthodox way that we as a nation of diverse people, from different cultures and from all over the globe blend together as Americans — especially when we are in crisis.

The war on terror is not won by one battle. We must still keep our eyes, ears and minds open to the possibility that some people, regardless of their reasons, want to change our way of life by terrorizing us. We as Americans must not let this happen.

The best revenge we can have on terrorists is a good life. We may have to adapt our lives and experience some inconvenience in the name of common safety and security, but let’s not change who we are.

Americans are a fun-loving people. Let’s continue to live free and have fun when the work of the day is done. Let’s travel, go to ballgames, races, theaters, tailgate parties, national monuments and parks, school plays and athletic events, festivals, fairs, picnics, parades and marathons, because that is what we have always done. That makes us what we are in this great country.

To the people in the general Boston area — and Watertown in particular — we in law enforcement must tip our hats and say thanks. The level of bravery, care and concern for other citizens those people exhibited was phenomenal. More importantly the level of trust, cooperation and understanding for the law enforcement mission in a case like this will become the gold standard.

Those citizens in Massachusetts experienced a very trying, difficult and uncomfortable week, but they came together, assisted law enforcement and the results are fantastic. In five days a major mystery was solved, and the principals in the plot will not hurt anyone outside of a prison wall again.

Last week makes me proud to be an American and reaffirms that we are truly the land of the free and the home of the brave. God bless America and all those who love her and defend her.

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

Teaching/learning is an important part of education when used to stimulate and develop a student’s intellectual abilities - it is contrary to education if it is used to stuff information and ideas into children who are perceived as empty vessels or defective models in need of repair.

All children come with experiences and ideas that must be nurtured and respected if they are to grow. These are the essential ingredients in real education - recognizing and bringing out the student’s own intellect and personality as their reach is expanded.

We often hear that children who do not thrive in school lack self-esteem. I believe rather that they shrivel and withdraw as they perceive all too vividly the lack of regard from those charged with their well-being.

Ruth Zweifler

Ann Arbor

A look at the design for the proposed high-rise at 413 E. Huron. This shows the signature corner at Division and Huron.

Humphreys & Partners Architects

The 413 project proposal was first reviewed by the city's Design Review Board. That group of design professionals made comments on the negative impact of the project's size relative to the adjacent neighborhood. The public input session had one speaker after another speak of their concerns about the size and location of the project, and its overall impacts.

The proposed project goes against established guidelines for design, as included in the city's master plan, its downtown plan, and its overlay zoning design guidelines. Also, there will be significant loss to the character of three of the city's premier historic districts.

The advice council gets from its legal staff is simply: You must approve it as submitted or you will be sued. This advice pits the city's own authority to plan and control development against the deep pockets of developers.

The public should question whether considered critiques by its appointed Design Review Board, concerns from the public, a resolution opposing the project from the Historic District Commission, and provisions in all of the city's design guidelines should be so easily discarded in the site plan review process. If only zoning counts, then what is the purpose of these other steps, which any developer will be free to ignore.

Council does have other options, which have been presented by legal advisors representing at least eight citizens groups. Members of council should utilize these options and vote to send the developer back to the drawing board to deliver a plan that is more in keeping with what the community wants — and deserves.

Norman Tyler is a resident of downtown Ann Arbor.