7/28/2019 Ypsilanti Courier April 11, 2013

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VOL. 19, NO. 15 THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013

The

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CITYShape Ypsi tohold 4-day designworkshop

See Page 7-A

SPORTSTwo players named toDream Team

See Page 1-C

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INDEX

POOLRutherford pool

$51k shy of 2013season openingSee Page 1-B

THE EYRIENew businessto open inDepot Town

See Page 1-B

By Krystal

ElliottHeritage Media

As partof itsreforesta-tion plan,Ypsilanti is teaming up with ReLeaf Michiganand looking for volunteers to help plant 500saplings at the Ypsilanti Tree Nursery April 19and 20.

The tree nursery is located on the WaterStreet property, on the former Gilbert ParkBall Diamond. The nursery exists to raise newtrees for transplantation in Ypsilanti parks andneighborhoods to restore the city's "urban for-est." This includes replacing old trees and diver-sifying the tree stock within the city.

After the Ypsilanti Department of Publicworks took an inventory of the tree stock with-

in the city in 2011, it was discovered that manyof the trees in the city were reaching maturity.We realized that we needed to prepare forreplacing these old trees,said Ypsilanti CityPlanner Teresa Gillotti. We were also lookingfor interim uses for the Water Street propertywhile we wait for development, so we thought,Why dont we combine the two ideas and planta nursery?

Gillotti said that the city received a grantof $144,000 from the Great Lakes RestorationInitiative, a federal investment into the GreatLakes region, to fund the project.The city does not have a budget for tree man-agement so usually we can get funding fromDTE but thats only for about 40 or 50 trees a

year, she said.The city has been working

on the reforestation projectwith ReLeaf Michigan, anon-profit organizationdedicated to educating thepublic on the value of treesand how to properly select,plant and maintain them.

"This is a very uniquething that Ypsilanti isdoing," said ChristineForton, ReLeaf Michigan'slead forester on theYpsilanti project. "Very fewcities grow their own treesfrom saplings as opposed tobuying them full grown."

Gillotti said that buyingfull grown, ready-to-planttrees can cost from $600 to

$800 per tree. Each saplingplanted in the tree nurserywill only cost between $3and $22 each.

"It's very unusual for a city to take on thiscommitment but it saves a lot of money," Fortonsaid.

Last year 250 saplings were planted at thetree nursery but many of the trees did notsurvive the season. We lost some trees last yearbecause of the hot summer and the drought.

Gillotti said that the nursery was supposedto be completed in the fall but because of thedrought, they were unable to continue plantingtrees. She estimates that about 100 trees madeit through the summer and hopes that survived

lasted the winter as well.In order to prevent a similar loss this year,

a solar-powered irrigation system will pumpwater to the nursery from the Huron River. Thesystem is being installed by Daily Rain Inc., anirrigation design and installation company inDexter. The cost of the irrigation is covered bythe grant the city received for the project.

This year 500 trees will be added to the treenursery, which will include the replacement of300 saplings that were lost since last year andan additional 200 new trees.

By Krystal ElliottHeritage Media

The Ypsilanti Community SchoolsBoard of Education approved a planthat lays out what buildings middleand high school students will behoused in when the consolidatedYpsilanti-Willow Run district opensnext fall.

The board voted that students in

grades 9-12 will be housed in thecurrent Ypsilanti High School build-ing, and students in grades 5-8 willgo to what is currently the WillowRun High School and IntermediateLearning center, also known as theWillow Run Complex.

Parents with students in fifth orsixth grade will have the option tokeep their student in their currentelementary school if that buildingcontinues to house grades 5 and 6.

The High Quality Teachers andTeaching Advisory Group, one ofseven advisory committees present-ing the board with recommendationson various aspects of the new dis-trict, recommended the approved con-figuration at a meeting March 28.

The advisory group rationalized

continued use of Ypsilanti HighSchool for grades 9-12 for its closeproximity to EMU and WashtenawCommunity College and because itscurrent athletic facilities are well-suited to use for varsity sports.

Courtesy Christine Forton / ReLeaf MichiganVolunteers lay mulch at the tree nursery last fall.

Help needed for Ypsi tree nurseryCity calls our forvolunteers to helpplant 500 saplings

Willow Run to

house grades5-8, Ypsi Highremains 9-12

Julia Niswender was found dead in her Ypsi apartment Dec. 17.

Programuses iPads,to assist inlearning

Investigators offer $10kreward in Niswender case

By Joseph YelickSpecial Writer

Two special education students andtheir teachers presented the use ofiPads and iPods in the classroom toWillow Run School Board at their regu-lar meeting Monday.

The two students Jasmine and Helenaddressed the board with a verbalpresentation and then their teachers,Barb Sartorius and Christine Newell,showed a short video presentation onhow the iPads and iPods have beenused in the classrooms.

"This is not a pilot program of anykind but the way my teachers usetechnology to naturally enhance teach-ing and learning in the digital age,"Superintendent Laura Lisiscki said."It is a full-inclusion program, wherethe iPads are shared with the generaleducation students...This allows forstudents to teach other students, whichis another benefit of the iPads."

Students and teachers are able touse the iPads for a number of unique

things to further their education.This technology allows the opportu-nity for the special education staff tohelp students with individualized edu-cation programs achieve academically,develop and refine social interaction

PLEASE SEE BUILDINGS/3-A PLEASE SEE IPADS/3-A

PLEASE SEE TREES/3-A

By Ben BairdHeritage Media

A private investigationagency is currently offeringa reward for information rel-evant to the homicide investiga-tion for Julia Niswender.

A reward of up to $10,000 isbeing offered for informationleading to the arrest and indict-ment of whoever is respon-sible for her death, accordingto a flyer by Duvall Group

Investigations, PLLC.Niswender, a 23-year-old

Eastern Michigan Universityjunior, was found dead in heroff-campus apartment on Dec.11.

Ryan Duvall, owner ofDuvall Group Investigations,

said he is friends with mem-bers of Niswender's family,including her mother KimTurnquist.

Duvall said he has consid-ered doing something to helpthe case, which led to the deci-sion to offer the reward. Headded he has not been hired byNiswender's family.Duvall Group Investigationsis encouraging anyone withinformation for the reward tocontact the Ypsilanti Police

Department at 734-487-1222or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP.

The agency is also asking foranyone willing to donate fundsfor distribution and flyer costs

PLEASE SEE NISWENDER/5-B

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