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Bringing 'community solar' to Ann Arbor: Effort to create pilot program underway

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About a year and a half ago, Nate Ayers and some of his neighbors in Ann Arbor's Lower Burns Park neighborhood began thinking seriously about solar energy.

They discussed ways to collaborate on a group installation project, pooling their resources and buying as many solar panels as possible for as cheaply as possible.

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Solar panels are seen on the rooftop of Arbor Brewing Co. in downtown Ann Arbor. Under a proposed "community solar" concept, members of the community could participate in buying shares in other solar projects like this.

photos courtesy of AABOR

Because of the dense tree cover in their neighborhood, they realized their own homes weren't ideal locations, so they began looking around.

What about a larger installation somewhere outside of the neighborhood where they'd each buy into the project — similar to a co-op model — and each receive credits for the energy produced by the system? In theory, they'd recoup their investment over a period of several years, while at the same time helping reduce the community's carbon footprint.

"As citizens, we want to help the city achieve its renewable energy goals," Ayers said. "This is a community that's pretty passionate about sustainability and ecological awareness, so it's definitely a combination of both ecological and economic benefits."

Ayers, a professional permaculture designer, said about 20 of his neighbors are now on board with the idea. He's thinking maybe a nearby business on South Industrial Highway with a nice south-facing roof will work, but they're still trying to pin down a location.

The Ann Arbor City Council gave the group's idea a boost this week, passing a resolution encouraging the development of a pilot "community solar" project.

City officials said a number of neighborhood and church groups have contacted the city about implementing a community solar project in Ann Arbor.

Community solar is an emerging practice allowing a group of people or businesses to purchase shares in a renewable energy system not located at the site of their electric meter, explained Nate Geisler, the city's energy programs associate.

The participants receive a share of the value of the energy produced from the offsite system as if it were located at their home or business, Geisler said.

He pointed out the Cherryland Electric Cooperative in Traverse City has launched the first large-scale example of community solar in Michigan and has seen fast growth in resident participation in the short time the program has been available.

It's estimated that 70 percent of Ann Arbor citizens do not have the ability to invest in efficient or practical solar energy because of site issues — they're either in the shade, don't have the right roof orientation for solar exposure, or they don't own their property.

The high cost of installing a complete solar energy system also is a barrier for many people who alternately could afford to invest in a partial system or several solar collectors.

And sometimes people simply don't feel comfortable purchasing or maintaining a solar energy system with technology they know little about.

"Community solar can remove many of these barriers by allowing a group of investors to purchase shares in a group-owned solar energy system, which is constructed, operated, and maintained by a third party," the council's resolution states.

Current electric utility policy in Michigan doesn't allow public utilities like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to offer community solar programs except as a pilot program when approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission. City officials have set a target date of March 31 for outlining a plan for the MPSC's consideration.

Ann Arbor officials are planning to work with DTE Energy to launch a pilot program that could enable community solar in Ann Arbor.

The City Council also went on record Tuesday night encouraging the Michigan Legislature to pass enabling legislation for community solar similar to a bill passed in Minnesota in May, mandating public electric utilities to submit a plan to allow separately metered accounts to be credited for investment in community solar projects.

Ann Arbor, which is designed a "Solar America City" by the U.S. Department of Energy, has adopted a Climate Action Plan and developed a Solar Plan that both advocate maximizing the installation and use of solar photovoltaic systems.

Geisler said the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association is underway with a statewide grant exploring feasibility and constraints facing community solar, and a pilot program in Ann Arbor could help inform and be informed by that effort.

"However, none of their funding would go toward an Ann Arbor pilot, it would just help to identify barriers and opportunities in our area and provide possible directions for a pilot," he said.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.


Convicted killer struggled with alcohol, father's death before murdering wife

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This much is clear: Jean-Pierre Trias is spending at least the next 30 years in the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility for murdering his wife, Katherine Porter.

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Jean-Pierre Trias, seen in his prison mugshot.

Courtesy of MDCO

However, what exactly led to Trias, 45, stabbing his wife to death, leaving as many as 69 individual injuries to her body, before police responded on Jan. 11 to their home in the 4700 block of Hickory Pointe Drive in Pittsfield Township, still isn’t known.

The police report obtained by AnnArbor.com through a Freedom of Information Act request provides a few clues on possible contributing factors. In it, friends and family members lay bare Trias’ struggles with drinking, coping with the death of his father and his past issues with their marriage.

Porter was found dead in the home after Trias called his brother, telling him that he “blacked out” the night before and didn’t know if he hurt someone. But on the day of his arrest, Detective Jason Hoehner wrote that Trias seemed normal.

“During my encounter with Trias, he showed no signs of emotional distress, mental health issues, desire to harm himself or others, or any outward signs of emotion other than calm, engaging and cooperative,” Hoehner wrote.

The marriage

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Katherine Porter

File photo

Trias and Porter were married in August 1995. The two shared a love of traveling, board games and deep strategy games, according to Paul Horvath, a math lecturer at Eastern Michigan University, where he was a colleague of Trias, who worked part-time as a coordinator of math tutoring and testing services and as a graduate assistant.

Another friend, John McKinnon, said the couple was pleasant and happy, did favors for each other and clearly showed affection.

Yet there were underlying issues in the marriage. According to the police report, Trias said he felt penned up in the past and, in 2010, filed for divorce and moved out of the couple’s home. Sarah Porter, Katherine Porter’s sister, told police he was sometimes arrogant.

“(Sarah Porter) stated that she was not aware of any domestic violence issues going on between Katherine and JP,” the report stated. “Sarah stated that JP did have a temper, was very competitive and would get irrational about issues over his own insecurities. Sarah stated that JP was very arrogant and felt he was better than he was.

“She used examples of him being unemployed and his belief that he could get younger attractive women.”

Her sister, Martha Porter, added, “The way JP acted and treated everyone was that he only mattered,” the report stated.

No one interviewed by police said they had ever seen evidence of domestic violence in the relationship. Both Porter and Trias had tempers, but the two apparently apparently never directed their ire at each other physically.

JP’s issues

Many friends and family members pointed toward the death of Trias’ father as a major moment in his life that sent him away from Porter and toward the bottle.

Multiple people told police Trias began drinking heavily around the time of his father’s death and during the divorce proceedings in 2010. During that year, he traveled often to Puerto Rico — where his family is originally from — to take care of his father’s estate.

Tracey Kocik, a close friend of Trias, told police the couple never had any drastic relationship problems. Porter was dedicated to her job and often worked long hours, time she couldn’t spend with Trias, and that weighed on him, according to Kocik.

“(Kocik) stated that she never knew of any single reason for JP leaving, but rather a build up of things being incompatible with her working all the time and his father dying,” the report stated.

However, it looked like things had turned for the better in late 2012. Sarah Porter told police that Trias and Porter spent Christmas with their family and everything seemed fine. Friends told police they thought the issues had passed and that Trias had seemed happier in recent months.

But something changed in Trias in the days before the murder.

His mother, Jennie Trias, told police she spoke with him on the phone every day from Jan. 6 until Jan. 10 and he seemed emotional. The last time she spoke with him before his arrest was around 9 p.m. on Jan. 10, when he told her he had been going to detox for alcohol treatment and, through tears, told her “I turned into my father, help me.”

By the next day, Porter’s body was bloodied and bruised in the couple’s home. Police found blood on bottles of Johnnie Walker Red and Goldschlager when they performed a search warrant.

A brutal death

The autopsy performed by Washtenaw County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Bader Cassin showed 69 wounds on Porter’s body.

Trias left a 10-inch knife in her stomach. A second knife had broken off in her skull. There were bite marks on her and a bruise on her right eye.

Trias’ face was left injured with marks consistent with fingernail scratches. Her sister, Martha Porter, doesn’t think she went down with out a fight.

Martha Porter's "sister was always a fighter and would fight to her death,” the police report stated. “Katherine Porter had long fingernails and would leave scratches if she were to fight.”

At 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, Trias called his brother Tom and was “unnaturally calm,” according to the report. A few hours later, the two spoke again and Trias was upset. He told his brother he blacked out the night before, had wounds on his body and didn’t know if he hurt anyone.

Trias knew he did something — he had researched local defense attorneys online and phoned the Simon and Gehrein law firm before his arrest. Joe Simon would eventually represent him during his case.

During a search of his computer, police found a to-do list, where the last line was “Kill Kathie Kill Kathie Kill Kathie!” Other items on the to-do list were as simple as grading, prepping for classes, solving mathematical problems and distributing T-shirts.

Trias had last modified the list on Jan. 5, at least five days before Porter’s death.

When he was arrested, Trias declined to speak to police because he wanted to have a lawyer present. He was never interviewed and, when he spoke in court, never gave a clue as to what possible motivation he had for killing his wife. More answers may yet come: Trias is being sued by Porter’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Still, those close to the couple find it hard to believe that Trias was himself when he made the decision to kill Porter.

“Something in JP broke for him to have done this,” Kocik said.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Return of Notre Dame night game means extra police officers patrolling Ann Arbor

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The scene outside Michigan Stadium before the Notre Dame night game in September 2011.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto says the public can expect heightened police enforcement for the return of the Notre Dame night game on Saturday.

"With the Notre Dame night game two years ago, after the game it was quite busy because of the atmosphere and the crowd, so we'll keep extra officers out here patrolling," he said.

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Fans make their way across the street to the Big House for the Notre Dame night game in 2011.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

It's been two years since the University of Michigan held its first-ever night game at Michigan Stadium — also against Notre Dame — in September 2011.

The Wolverines beat the Fighting Irish 35-31 that night, with Denard Robinson throwing a last-minute touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree.

Naturally, that was reason for thousands to celebrate, and it was a festive scene throughout Ann Arbor until the early morning hours the following day.

Local taxicab drivers recall people who were out partying and bar-hopping until 2 a.m. were still downtown trying to hail cabs around 6 a.m.

With kickoff at 8 p.m., instead of noon or 3:30 p.m., a prime-time game at the Big House also allows students and football fans several extra hours to party and tailgate beforehand.

Ann Arbor police issued 94 alcohol-related citations and nine noise violations during pre-game activities for the Notre Dame game in 2011.

After the game ended, Ann Arbor police issued 33 more alcohol-related citations and eight noise violations during nighttime party patrol.

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Police make an arrest before the Notre Dame night game in 2011.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Those numbers — 144 citations total — are considerably higher than the averages for the other seven home games in 2011 when just under 50 citations were issued per game.

Broken down, that's 7.4 noise violations and 32.3 alcohol-related citations pre-game, and 3.4 noise violations and 6.7 alcohol-related citations afterward for the other games.

"Since Notre Dame was a night game, pre-game enforcement was for a longer period of time," Seto said. "It began six hours before kickoff when the general time for pre-game enforcement is three hours for a noon kickoff. That's twice as much enforcement time."

Seto said it's possible there might have been different staffing levels for each game. And he said it's important to note the Notre Dame vs. U-M matchup occurs in the early part of the season when celebratory activity is at its highest because of the warmer weather.

Nonetheless, Seto said, he doesn't doubt that a Notre Dame night game brings on more enforcement action.

The University of Michigan Department of Public Safety's game-day detail made 14 arrests, issued seven citations and ejected 23 other people from the stadium when Notre Dame visited in 2011.

There were five arrests for disorderly conduct, three for stealing a golf cart, two for minors in possession of alcohol, one for assault and battery, one for resisting and obstructing police, one for larceny and one for domestic assault. There also were four citations written for having alcohol in the stadium, two for unauthorized entry, and one for possessing somebody else's ID.

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Police closed down Main Street before and during the Notre Dame game in 2011.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

The other 23 people who had run-ins with university police were ejected from the game for reasons ranging from disorderly conduct to having alcohol in the stadium, urinating in public in the stadium, and throwing projectiles.

As for the city's plan for Saturday, with the game once again starting at 8 p.m., Seto said there will be an appropriate police presence, but he can't disclose specifics about staffing.

"However, I can say the plan is similar to our deployment in 2011," he said. "The only difference that I can add is that due to our efforts this year with monitoring and addressing traffic flow in the neighborhood just west of the Michigan Stadium, additional officers will be patrolling this area."

Seto noted the traffic control plan was slightly different for the Notre Dame night game in 2011, with Main Street shut down in front of the Big House three hours before the game.

This year, the northbound lanes will close three hours before the game, but the southbound lanes will remain open until one hour prior to kickoff.

"There were a lot of preparations two years ago, and there are a lot of preparations this year," Seto said. "So some of the added issues we may experience may be mitigated by some of our planning."

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Piles of trash lingered outside Michigan Stadium after football fans made their way inside for the Notre Dame game in 2011.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Seto believes the amount of post-game activity on Saturday will have more to do with the fact that Notre Dame draws a big crowd to town, and less to do with the start time of the game.

"On any Saturday night, whether it's Notre Dame or any other game, there's going to be activities that go until 2 or 3 in the morning, so I'm not sure the late game had that much of an effect on the post-game activity," he said. "I mean, even when we had Notre Dame on the noon and 3:30 p.m. game start times, it was pretty busy afterward."

City Administrator Steve Powers agreed.

"It'll be more just the crowd and the size of the event," he said. "We do have some experience with larger events when Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame come in."

Powers said the city has a plan in place to hit the streets with street sweepers after the game to get rid of trash and litter left behind.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Crews extinguish bathroom fire at EMU dining hall

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Fire crews were called to Eastern Michigan University Friday morning around 8 a.m. for a blaze started in a men's restroom, officials said.

The Ypsilanti Fire Department extinguished the small fire in The Commons dining center, EMU police Chief Bob Heighes said.

The fire was in one of the lower levels of the building. The Commons and nearby Wise Hall were evacuated just for precautions, Heighes added, but students were soon let back in to both.

Ypsilanti fire officials were still at the scene around 10 a.m. investigating the cause.


View EMU Dining Services Locations in a larger map

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

ESPN's 'College GameDay' prepares for Saturday broadcast from U-M campus

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The stage for ESPN College Game Day is in the process of being set up Thursday on the University of Michigan campus.

Patrick Record | AnnArbor.com

Crews began setting up for ESPN's "College GameDay" broadcast on Ingalls Mall at the University of Michigan Thursday.

The show is coming to campus Saturday for the second time in three years. ESPN broadcast the show from campus in 2011 before the first night game in U-M history. In that game, the Wolverines took on Notre Dame, just as they will Saturday.

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Thomas Crescenzo sets up a flycam for ESPN College Game Day at the University of Michigan on Thursday.

Patrick Record | AnnArbor.com

The show generally includes a crowd of fans who come bearing signs and dress in their school's colors.

Saturday's broadcast begins at 9 a.m.

Those seeking an even earlier tuneup for the game can participate in a pep rally at 7 p.m. Friday on the Diag.

Images from Depot Town Cruise Night in Ypsilanti

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Thursday evenings in the summertime mean Depot Town Cruise Nights in Ypsilanti. The event shuts down East Cross Street from 6 to 8 p.m. and car owners, collectors and families walk up and down the street checking out the classic cars.

Visitors can also participate in a hula-hoop contest and listen to music. Next Thursday, Sept. 12, will be the last cruise night of the year.

AnnArbor.com intern photographer Patrick Record captured these images Thursday, Sept. 5.

Images from Buhr Park pool's annual dog swim

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Canines of all shapes and sizes took to the water for the 2013 annual dog swim at the Buhr Park Outdoor Pool on Thursday, Sept. 5. The event allowed man's best friends to enjoy an afternoon at the pool, with plenty of fetch included.

Brianne Bowen is an intern photographer.

Quintuplets born at University of Michigan hospital

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Father Robert Hicks and mother Jessica Hicks with one of five quintuplets born Thursday at Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Photo courtesy of Robert Hicks

The University of Michigan’s Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital welcomed quintuplets Thursday morning born to Jessica and Robert Hicks of Livingston County, MLive reported.

The quintuplets are believed to be the first set ever born at the hospital in Ann Arbor.

"It was amazing just seeing all five of them all at once," said Robert Hicks, dad of the quintuplets. "We were all filled up with joy and tears and happiness."

Out of 4 million babies born in the United States each year only 40 sets - 200 babies - are quintuplets, said Dr. Cosmas Vandeven, director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the hospital.

Parker was born at 10:38 a.m. Thursday at 4 pounds. Carol was born at 10:38 a.m. at 3 pounds 9 ounces. Emmett was at 10:39 a.m. at 3 pounds 7 ounces, followed by Nicole at 10:40 a.m. at 4 pounds. The last baby, Ryker, was born at 10:41 a.m. at 4 pounds 6 ounces.


1 taken to hospital after SUV rolls over in Ann Arbor

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One person was injured when this SUV rolled over on Washtenaw Avenue Friday morning.

Courtesy of Paul Desprez

One person was taken to the hospital after an SUV rolled over at Washtenaw Avenue and Huron Parkway Friday morning in Ann Arbor.

Huron Valley Ambulance spokeswoman Joyce Williams said emergency personnel were sent at 11:10 a.m. Friday to Washtenaw Avenue and Huron Parkway for a report of a rollover accident.

Williams said one person was injured and that person was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital at 11:34 a.m. The person was in stable condition, she said.

Ann Arbor police and Ann Arbor firefighters were on scene at the crash. Ann Arbor police were not immediately able to give details on the crash Friday afternoon.


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Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Police have Dexter area burglary suspect in custody

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A man suspected in numerous Dexter area home invasions was taken into custody early Friday morning, according to police.

A Nixle message was sent out at 8:16 a.m. and Sgt. Geoff Fox of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office later confirmed that a man was arrested so the "be on the lookout" call was cancelled.

On Thursday, the sheriffs office sent out an alert asking the public to "be on the lookout" for a white man in his early 20s driving a 1997 metallic silver and tan Buick. The man is suspected in several recent burglaries and larcenies in and around Dexter and the Webster Township area.

Fox did not have any additional information about the case.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Judge: Prosecutors can look through text messages of attorney accused of sexual assault

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Nader Nassif

Courtesy of WCSO

After roughly three hours of arguments from attorneys on Thursday, Judge J. Cedric Simpson dismissed a defense motion that would have essentially prevented prosecutors from looking at certain text messages sent and received by Nader Nassif, the Ann Arbor attorney and former Downtown Development Authority board member accused of sexual assault.

Lawyer Jill Schinske and lead defense attorney Joe Simon argued that there is correspondence on the iPhone seized by police between Nassif and hundreds of clients that could be used by the prosecutor's office in other cases. The defense said the court should intervene and separate the text messages pertaining to the criminal charge — drug transactions and the sexual assault — and Nassif's work communication.

The defense argued that many of the text messages on the phone are protected by attorney-client privilege and that since the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office will be prosecuting many of those clients in the future, it should not have access to the messages.

"This isn't a standard case," Schinske said at the hearing in 14A-1 District Court Thursday. "There is this interconnectedness that is problematic."

Prior to being charged with one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, Nassif worked as a defender in Ann Arbor's 15th District Court, where he represented indigent clients.

Simpson ultimately sided with Washtenaw County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Steven Hiller, who pointed out the cell phone was legally seized with a warrant and outlined a procedure for dealing with the voluminous text messages on the cell phone.

The prosecution estimated there were about 8,000 pages of texts to sift through.

Hiller said the text messages are "under lock and key" at the prosecutor's office and that only three people, including himself and Assistant Prosecutor J. Samuel Holtz, have access to them. That team will go through the text messages, separate those pertinent to the criminal case from correspondence with clients. Those that could be used as evidence will be shared with the defense. Any messages protected by attorney-client privilege will be sent to the judge.

"We have no intention of introducing any privileged material in another case," Hiller said.

Simpson agreed to the procedure, though Schinske hinted at an additional complication when she posed a conditional question about a situation in which Nassif engaged in a narcotic exchange with a client.

That issue wasn't further addressed in Thursday's hearing, which is the second to precede Nassif's preliminary examination, still scheduled for Sept. 19. A third pre-preliminary exam hearing was also set for Sept. 12 to address a defense motion to dismiss the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office from the case.

Simpson said it would also give the prosecution the chance to update him on progress made with the text messages, adding that one of his biggest concerns was making sure all evidence is shared with the defense in a timely manner before the preliminary examination.

Nassif, a former member of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority board, is facing a third-degree criminal sexual conduct count that indicates the alleged victim in the case was incapacitated and sexual penetration took place. Nassif knew or had “reason to know that the victim was mentally incapacitated and/or physically helpless,” according to the complaint.

The alleged incident took place July 31 in his apartment in the 200 block of South Fourth Avenue. Nassif later resigned from the DDA and is no longer being assigned to cases in the 15th District Court, where his firm, Model Cities Legal Services, is contracted to provide representation.

Ann Arbor police obtained warrants and seized evidence on July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2 including bed sheets, contents from a trash can, an iPhone and computer.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Tickets for Notre Dame night game at Michigan Stadium scarce and expensive

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Want a ticket to the Michigan vs. Notre Dame game this weekend?

You better be able to cough up some cash.

University of Michigan has been sold out of all of its spectator tickets for about a week, and fans are now selling them on sanctioned online marketplaces like StubHub and unsanctioned marketplaces like Craigslist.

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The last Notre Dame night game broke Michigan Stadium attendance records.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

There were about 2,000 tickets for sale on StubHub midday Friday, at least 1,000 less than the day before.

The most expensive tickets have a price tag of $7,500 each for sideline seats at Row A, and the cheapest tickets were running about $180 and $190. More than 1,100 tickets were selling for less than $300.

But for some, even the lowest priced tickets are too expensive.

Ashley Willis, a 2013 U-M graduate, is looking to buy one online for $125 or less and is traveling from Niles, Mich., to Ann Arbor to spend game day with her friends. She's fine with buying a student ticket and validating it for a fee at the ticket office.

An avid Michigan fan while in college, Willis knows it's unlikely she'll get a ticket to this weekend's game at that price, but she's reluctant to pay more.

"I am trying to save up so I can make a big move to a different state so I can pursue a different career," she explained. "That's kinda pushing the limit."

The game is in demand for several reasons: Notre Dame is a major team, this is the last year of a long rivalry between the two teams and the game is the second one in Michigan Stadium history that will take place at night.

The last night game against Notre Dame broke attendance records at the Big House with 114,804 fans in attendance.

Most of the tickets for sale on StubHub were for end zone and corner sections.

Yuna He is a busy graduate student preparing for job interviews. She sold her student ticket to the Notre Dame game for $180 on Craigslist.

"I am surprised the price is so high," she said.

"Before I sell a ticket, I will just browse Craigslist to see what the average price is," she said. "For [big] games it's super high... The price does vary a lot."

She said that as she looked on Craigslist she noticed students were already selling their tickets for the Ohio State game for more than $200 each, whereas tickets for the Akron game next week are as low as $25 a piece.

Season tickets for students cost $280, or $40 a game.

Tickets to the Notre Dame game have been expensive from the start due to Michigan's switch to dynamic pricing this year. Instead of locked ticket prices, a computer program determined ticket cost based on their market value, which can be affected by team performance, visiting team performance, weather and inventory.

For example, single end zone tickets sold by U-M were priced at about $200 a piece prior to the school selling out. End zone tickets for the Akron game are $65 a piece.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Milan superintendent calls football coach's comments about Ypsilanti Community 'inappropriate'

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Milan quarterback Robert Kanitz after being injured on the first play from scrimmage against Ypsilanti, Friday August 30, 2013.

Patrick Record | AnnArbor.com file photo

Milan Area Schools superintendent Bryan Girbach issued a statement Friday morning condemning recent statements made by varsity football coach Jesse Hoskins regarding his team’s game at Ypsilanti Community High School last weekend.

After a game marred with personal fouls and penalties, Hoskins said he hopes to never face the Grizzlies again. Ypsilanti had 16 penalties for 140 yards and Milan was flagged for six penalties for 55 yards. Hoskins was especially upset with what he said were several instances of helmet-to-helmet hits, some of which were called, some not.

In addition to the play on the field, Hoskins said disorganization of the overall game day operations, complaints from community members and similarly negative experiences when facing Ypsilanti High School in the past made him want to discontinue the relationship.

Girbach called Hoskins’ statements, “inappropriate.”

“As the superintendent of Milan Area Schools, I acknowledge that Jesse Hoskins, our varsity football coach, made a mistake by making disparaging comments against Ypsilanti Community Schools (YCS),” Girbach said in a release. “I have talked with the Ypsilanti Community Schools’ superintendent, Mr. Menzel, several times regarding the articles. David Kaiser, our athletic director, and I have addressed coach Hoskins regarding his comments about YCS.”

Kaiser and Ypsilanti Community superintendent Scott Menzel said the two schools would discuss whether the game would continue at a later date, which is standard procedure.

“We will, like we do every year, sit down with the coaches and myself at the end of the year, evaluate our schedule, evaluate our program and make decisions from there,” Kaiser said.

Menzel said he expects game days to run more smoothly now that school is in session and the school has a game under its belt.

“I think some of those things (Hoskins referenced) are a product of being the first game, before school started, and the first as a consolidated district,” Menzel said.

Menzel said he appreciated Girbach's statement.

Ypsilanti Community plays at Saline High School Friday night and Milan plays at Riverview. Ypsilanti’s next home game is Sept. 20 against Chelsea.

Will U-M be playing in the rain while Under The Lights against Notre Dame?

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It's the weekend everyone has had circled on their calendar since the 2013 University of Michigan football schedule was released: Under The Lights II.

The week's Weather ... Or Not comes with mostly positive news, but there's a slight chance that the party could get a little wet on Saturday.

As Michigan and Notre Dame duke it out on the field, there's a chance that some thunder and lightning might be coming down from the skies above. Make sure to bring a poncho with you into Michigan Stadium on Saturday.

For more weekend weather, check out annarbor.com/weather and MLive.com/weather.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Dining in the eye of the hurricane - 5 places to eat out during the U-M-Notre Dame game

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Knights Steakhouse

Even if you don't have tickets to Saturday's Notre Dame game under the lights, every Ann Arbor resident knows that you have to plan your day around the massive influx of traffic and football revelry.

For most of us, it means hunkering down and watching the game from the comfort of our living room, but it doesn't have to be that way.

"We are passing on the game and instead have reservations to eat downtown in the 'eye of the hurricane' at 8:00," wrote my friend Jim on Facebook.

While it's true that making your way across town before or after a Michigan football game is next to impossible, the truth is that once those 107,500 people have taken their seats and the game has kicked off, the rest of Ann Arbor gets eerily quiet.

Here's a short list of 5 places in Ann Arbor where you can eat good food between 8 and 10 p.m. Saturday, during the 'eye of the hurricane':

Isalita (341A E. Liberty St.)

Excellent small plate Mexican dining from the same team that brought us Mani Osteria. I love the Mexican Street Corn and the Queso Fundido. Bonus: Isalita is offering Coronita Buckets for $5 during the game from any seats that have a view of game on the bar-mounted televisions. Reservations accepted for parties larger than 6: 734-213-7400

Knight's Steakhouse (2324 Dexter Avenue)

In addition to having the best, or at least the stiffest, drinks in town, Knight's has a great menu of bar food and salads to go with their legendary steaks. TVs are mounted in the bar, and you will be able to see the game from many of the tables in the restaurant. Bonus: their "out of this world" brisket is on special this weekend. Reservations accepted: 734-665-8644

Zingerman's Roadhouse (2501 Jackson Ave)

Upscale comfort food reigns supreme in this westside Zingerman's outpost. Grab a seat in the bar area and enjoy some barbecue or macaroni and cheese along with a cool Michigan draft beer. Reservations accepted: 734-663-3663.

The Raven's Club (207 South Main St.)

This cozy, speakeasy-themed Main Street restaurant is known for craft cocktails and locally-focused small plates. The restaurant's new chef is earning rave reviews from friends, especially the burger and the heirloom carrot and polenta small plate. And yes, there are televisions at the bar. Reservations accepted: 734-214-0400.

Jolly Pumpkin (311 South Main St.)

Nationally renowned for Belgian-style beers brewed in Dexter, the Ann Arbor outpost for this brewpub is also an excellent destination for hand-tossed pizzas, inventive salads, small plates and sandwiches. The game will be on in the bar, and TVs are visible at some of the tables. Reservations accepted until 6 p.m.: 734-913-2730

Jessica Webster leads the Food & Grocery section for AnnArbor.com, a part of the MLive Media Group. Reach her at JessicaWebster@annarbor.com. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.


No initial signs of foul play after man found dead in Huron River in Ann Arbor

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A man was found dead in the Huron River near this bridge north of downtown Ann Arbor Friday afternoon.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

This story has been updated with more information on the man found in the river.

A man was found dead Friday afternoon in the Huron River near the 900 block of North Main Street in Ann Arbor, according to Ann Arbor police.

Police officials confirmed the man was found Friday afternoon, but other information about what led to his death was not available as of 5 p.m. Friday. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, officials said.

Detective Lt. Robert Pfannes said the person was a man, thought to be in his 40s. Pfannes said there are no initial signs of foul play.

The Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s Office will be doing an autopsy that should shed more light on the man’s death, Pfannes said.

Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Geoffrey Fox said the sheriff's office's dive team was sent out to the river about noon Friday to help Ann Arbor with the incident.

"Our dive team went out there to recover the body," Fox said.

Unofficial reports indicate there was no trauma on the person's body.

AnnArbor.com will update this story as more information becomes available.


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Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

U-M pep rally brings out fans, players, Mary Sue Coleman and a celebrity or two

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University of Michigan students and fans gathered on the Diag for a pep rally Friday night ahead of the Wolverines' game against Notre Dame Saturday.

They heard from Head Coach Brady Hoke, U-M president Mary Sue Coleman and football players and they were treated to a performance by former Michigan Student and "Glee" star Darren Criss.

AnnArbor.com photographer Courtney Sacco captured these images.

Little house on the Ferry: University of Michigan's athletic campus was Hurst family's playground

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Once upon a time there was a little white house enclosed by a big brick wall. Inside that three bedroom house lived four little children - Pam, Priscilla, Gary, and Terry; and their parents, Bob and Lois Hurst.

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Gary and Terry "help" cut the grass on Ferry Field.

Family photo

In their backyard was the University of Michigan football practice field. A stone’s throw away stood the basketball and track field house, and a short walk took them to the football or baseball stadium.

It has been decades since the children lived their own version of fantasy football. The house was torn down in the 1987 and replaced by Schembechler Hall; much of the brick wall is now gone and new facilities have sprung up; those simple days have given way to the big business of college sports. But the memories remain.

Even Priscilla (now Harris), who didn’t like sports, said it was fantastic living there. "There was always something exciting," she said. "Pep rallies with a bonfire at the outdoor track; crisp, fall football days when the whole town was deserted because everyone was at the game, making it easy to drive around."

Gary said "it was a whole different world. Until we got older, we didn’t appreciate it because it was just our way of life, what we grew up with, all that we knew. It was a fun childhood."

The thirty acres of land was named Ferry Field after Detroit businessman Dexter Ferry who donated it for the development of athletic facilities. To the Hurst children it was a huge playground. The house was the farmhouse on the acreage.

The darkness of Yost Field House made it a perfect place for playing hide and seek or climbing the ropes that were there for the athletes. Terry would run on the artificial football practice field after the players were gone for the night and run through the tires. The blocking dummies were toys for them all to be played on.

Pam (Gibb), the oldest, remembers cars being parked at Ferry Field for the football games and the buses which brought the high school bands for the annual band day. "The Michigan marching band practiced in our backyard and the ROTC was there on Saturday," she said.

"It was a neat experience. You couldn’t beat it. Who else has a football team in their yard? On Saturday afternoons I would sit on the front porch waiting for the band to come back after the game, watching to see if their hats were on backwards, indicating a victory. Sometimes I would go at half-time and get in free, especially when I became a teenager and learned that it was a good place to meet boys."

Gary and Terry got to mingle with the players and coaches before and after practice. "The biggest deal for me was getting to know the players as people, not just as players," Terry said. "Some of the players and coaches would explain to Gary and me how to do things. Stan Kemp, who played in the mid 60s and was a punter, showed us how to kick the ball, for example. And Bump Elliott (the coach from 1959-68) would give us tips on different things.

"It was a little tricky, though. They were all busy, so we had to learn when to talk to them and when not to. Our parents told us not to bother them once practice started."

Because Bob was the head of maintenance for the athletic department, his family was able to live in the house. He had come back to Ann Arbor after serving in the Army Air Corps. for three years as a radio operator in a B-24 bomber, flying 34 missions over Germany and France. On the 34th, he was wounded in both legs by enemy flak and was in the hospital for a few months afterwards. He began working at the athletic department on a temporary basis in 1945 and ended up staying 41 years.

Besides the fun and excitement, there were a few scary times at the house. In February 1959, the furnace blew up and the house caught on fire. At the time, Bob and Lois were gone, and Bob’s parents were babysitting. The fire department responded quickly, and Pam and Priscilla were able to jump out of the second-story window into the arms of the firemen. Gary and Terry, however, were overcome by the smoke. One of the firemen climbed a ladder, crawled along the ground to the unconscious boys, and carried them out one at a time. They both woke up later at the hospital in oxygen tents.

In May of the same year, a tornado tore a corner of the roof off of Yost Field House and a big tree broke through the brick wall. The patch job is still visible. Then there was the time that Priscilla fell out of the second-floor window while waving to her uncle who was approaching the house. Fortunately, the lawn had been freshly laid with sod; Priscilla landed on her hands and knees, got up and walked away unhurt.

Shortly after, though, she was playing on the bandstand that Dr. William Ravelli (director of the marching band) used. She climbed two steps, fell off and broke her arm. Figure that out.

A special treat for the family was when the helicopters would land at Ferry Field. That was typical when the governor would come for the Michigan State game. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson landed there, then headed to the stadium to give the graduation commencement address.

Another man who would become president, Gerald Ford, often watched football practice when he was in Ann Arbor (he played for Michigan from 1932-34), and he and Bob became well acquainted.

Lois, who said she doesn’t know the first thing about football, still liked living at Ferry Field. "The kids, and their friends that they had over, could play on the fields and I always knew where they were," she said. "It was great for Bob because there was no commute to work. And the lack of privacy wasn’t a problem since we enjoyed meeting people, and there were lots of wonderful people."

There were a few nice perks, too, of being close to the athletes and coaches. One day, Bo Schembechler happened to be at Knight’s Restaurant the same time that the Hurst family was there. Since Bob knew Bo well, he was able to introduce him to Terry’s daughter and son-in-law, a thrill for them.’

Everyone has a "Bo story," and Terry recalls cleaning Bo’s office as a teenager when he worked for his dad. "I broke a trophy one day and left him a note explaining what happened. The next day, he called me in, and I thought ‘oh, no. I’m in trouble.’ Bo asked me if it was an accident. I said that it was. He suggested that I get some glue and try to fix it, and to be more careful next time. I walked out relieved and said to myself, ‘he isn’t so bad.’"

Terry said he not only had fun, but learned from the athletes. "I saw that it was their dedication and focus that led to success. At practice, they would do the same thing over and over until they got it right. That approach applies to any aspect of life."

Gary admits that sometimes the kids might have been pests to the players or coaches or work crew. "But I loved growing up there," he said. "Whether it was playing on the tractors or watching them transport sod from Ferry Field to transplant in the stadium, it never got old. Even when I was older."

Bob and Lois now live in Florida. When their kids visit, as they all did recently, you can imagine that reminiscing is a big part of the conversation.

If you want to contact Terry about his life growing up, or about Michigan sports in general, email him at dr.terry.hurst@gmail.com.

Bob Horning, a lifelong Ann Arbor resident, is writing U-M game day stories for AnnArbor.com. If you have ideas for future columns, please email news@annarbor.com.

Student binge drinking: Are tailgaters drinking more or are we just able to see more of it?

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University of Michigan officials are encouraging students to be safe with their drinking during tailgates before the Michigan-Notre Dame game Saturday.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

It’s noon on the first football Saturday of 2013 in Ann Arbor and Hill Street is alive with the sound of tailgate.

In the 1100 block of Hill, University of Michigan students and other college-aged revelers jam into the yard of a two-story home. The crowd is bouncing with the thumping beat of a techno track that echoes across the neighborhood; it's so loud it’ll surely leave most with ringing ears in a few hours.

The air smells like cheap vodka and spilled beer. People dancing on the ledges of the home sometimes struggle to stay on their feet. The Wolverines don’t take on Central Michigan University for a few hours.

A family, two children and a mother and father, pose for pictures across Hill with the party in the background. They smile, laugh and marvel at the spectacle.

A Pint Of Perception

With school starting up at the beginning of September — and football season coming just before it — so comes the return of loud, obvious binge drinking on the streets and Twitter accounts of Ann Arbor residents.

But, is it any different now than it was 20 years ago? Statistics say no.

On the national level, binge drinking among college students has been on the decline since 1991, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. A survey completed in 2011 shows the proportion of college students who reported having five or more drinks in a row during the last two weeks went from 43 percent in 1991 to 36 percent in 2011.

At the University of Michigan, the numbers only increased slightly. In 1999, 45 percent of U-M students reported binge drinking in the previous two weeks. In 2013, that number was 50.8, but even that is down from a peak of 53.2 percent in 2005.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, four out of five college students drink, and about half of those students report binge drinking in the previous two weeks.

Those are the numbers. But, the perception is definitely changing, said Mary Jo Desprez, the Alcohol and Other Drugs Program coordinator at U-M. A lot of that is thanks to social media.

“It’s much more in our face than it was, even in 2007,” she said in an interview.

She added, “The ability for those images to go viral and create a perception is worrisome because then it makes it seem more normal, that that is what you do.”

In addition, Desprez said, Ann Arbor is unique among many college campuses, in that the city of Ann Arbor and the campus of the University of Michigan are so intermingled. With students and permanent residents living so close together, it becomes very easy to see mass parties like the ones on football Saturdays — and the heavy drinking that comes along with them.

That perception problem is also in place at Eastern Michigan University.

According to 2012 statistics from the CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey in 2012, more than 40 percent of students believed that students use alcohol three times per week. However, the actual percentage of students using alcohol more than three times per week was below 20 percent.

According to the same survey, the percentage of students reporting bingeing in the previous two weeks went down more than 3 percent from 2010 to 2012 — from 33.5 percent to 30.2 percent.

Kathy Walz, a health educator at EMU, said educating students about drinking — how to determine if friends are too drunk, knowing how much alcohol is in a certain drink and showing them that not everyone is getting hammered every weekend — is very important.

“Since we started, we’ve come a far way in helping them understand that alcohol poisoning is real,” she said. “Telling them to ‘Drink responsibly’, and other media messages, are doing them a disservice, because no one’s had that conversation with them.”

A Game Under The Lights

Tailgates can be quite the spectacle, such as the one on Hill Street that drew the attention of that Wolverine-fan family last week. With just the second night game in U-M history to be held Saturday night, there are some concerns about alcohol consumption getting out of control during the extended tailgating period.

“It’s going to be pretty crazy,” said John Burns, U-M sophomore. Notre Dame is a pretty big game and we have a history with Notre Dame. … It’s going to be fun for sure.”

Most of the problems after the 2011 edition of the Michigan-Notre Dame game — the first to be held under the lights — took place after the game. A large fight was broken up by Ann Arbor police using pepper spray as the bars closed after the game at the corner of South University Avenue and Church Street and a few other assaults took place as well.

According to Ann Arbor police, there were 144 total citations during that edition of the game. Police issued 94 alcohol-related citations and 9 noise citations before the game and another 33 alcohol-related citations and eight noise violations after the game. All of those numbers were much higher than normal home games during the 2011 season.

Throughout the 2012 football season, UMPD gave 61 minor in possession tickets on game weekends, needed 55 ambulance requests or hospital transports and 57 people were kicked out of UM Stadium for having booze. One person received an open container ticket, 26 people were arrested for disorderly conduct, there were seven internal dorm incidents for alcohol, one urination in public ticket and 2 people arrested for going on the field at Michigan Stadium.

On Saturday, there will definitely be enough rowdiness on the streets south and west of campus, on the golf courses and in the Pioneer High School parking lot to go around. But, not everyone is working on making sure they get so blitzed they don’t remember half the game.

“There’s a significant portion of campus that doesn’t drink. They would prefer to be at a dry tailgate,” said Michael Proppe, a senior at U-M and student body president.

That’s why the Michigan Student Assembly will be holding The Under The Lights Tailgate on Elbel Field, off of Hill Street between Division and Fifth Avenue, Saturday. The student assembly held a similar event before the last night game in 2011 and more than 8,000 students attended. A similar amount of people are expected this time.

The event will give students who don’t want to drink a tailgate atmosphere to enjoy without alcohol, and give those who have been drinking a chance to get some free food and water before the game. Proppe said it’s an important event.

“The University of Michigan is a pretty diverse campus. Some students prefer to be out at the party and some prefer to be at a dry event,” he said. “This gives that option. They don’t have to be at the party with alcohol. It does keep the student experience a lot of fun for a lot of students.”

Burns said he expects tailgating to be getting going early but with probably some downtime. The most important thing is still the game, he said.

“I know people will be out here at six in the morning, trying to get on TV,” he said in an interview near the College GameDay set on Ingalls Mall. “There will probably be some drinking earlier in the day and some downtime to get some food, and then it might start back up before the game.”

He added, “There’s a chance of that (students getting out of control), but I’m sure people will want to be in control of things. There are smart kids here.”

Desprez is hoping students will download the new Stay In The Blue smartphone app to make sure they stay safe on game day and other nights out. The app allows users to track the amount they’re drinking while the app gives them an idea of their Blood Alcohol Content, along with other helpful functions to lead to a safe night.

U-M football legend Desmond Howard has done public service announcements in support of the app and Desprez said it’s another attempt for educators to be with students in the new mediums where they’re spending their time, such as Twitter and Facebook.

“We have to be innovative with how we educate those who are going to choose to drink anyway,” she said.

At the end of the day, the thing that matters most to students is that the Wolverines leave the Big House with a win. Burns was a high school senior in 2011 and remembers watching the last night game on TV.

“I’m expecting one of the greatest games I’ve ever been to,” Burns said. “I watched that game, the last time it was under the lights, and in the last minute there was like five touchdowns, so I’m just waiting for, hopefully, something like that. I’m just hoping for a Michigan win."

Education, Alternatives, Prevention

For the most part, college is college wherever you go and it’s been like that for decades.

“At any university environment, you are going to have a drinking culture,” Walz said about EMU. “We have the biggest incoming freshman class and a lot of those freshman are living on campus. We face the same issues … around alcohol that other universities face.”

What’s different now is the targeted educated and prevention efforts from departments such as Alcohol and Other Drugs Program at U-M and the University Health Services at EMU.

Desprez and Walz both spoke about the importance of educating freshman during their first days on campus about drinking and sexual assault. Walz said the three groups especially targeted for education efforts at EMU are freshman, athletes and those in the Greek Life system.

“We have to think of practical proactive ways (to engage students),” Walz said. “A lot of times, they don’t plan what happens, so we have those conversations and really have to keep it fresh.”

For instance, Greek students at EMU go through such steps as role-playing scenarios when they might have to take care of a friend who is too drunk.

Desprez said the field of educating students about the risks of binge drinking in college has been taking great steps in recent years, aided by a federal law that requires an alcohol and other drugs program and policy at every school.

With that many universities turning out data, it’s allowing people like Desprez to figure out what works and what doesn’t work for each campus population.

For the most part, drinking and driving isn’t a big problem at U-M, she said. So, “putting a crashed car on The Diag doesn’t do anything,” she said.

“All we try to do is put lots of things in place that have shown some evidence of being helpful,” she added.

Among those programs are the required online course about alcohol and sexual assault issues, the Beyond the Diag program and dry events such as Escapade during Welcome Week, which 5,000 students attended, and the UMix event on Friday nights that averages 1,000 attendees.

While university officials are working hard to educate students on alcohol’s effect on their life, sometimes the best regulator of student behavior is when classes start and the schoolwork comes, she said.

“The intensity and rigor has a moderating effect,” Desprez said. “U-M students care about their academics and about maintaining a really good academic profile.”

“There’s a very small percentage (of students) who can party hard and study hard persistently, but most people have to figure out how to calibrate.”

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Students, fans from both U-M and Notre Dame flock to GameDay telecast

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Fans watch a live broadcast of ESPN's "College GameDay" at Ingalls Mall on the University of Michigan campus Saturday.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

They came from as far away as Florida and North Carolina to Ann Arbor for the big University of Michigan-Notre Dame football game at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Even though kick-off wasn't for 12 hours, at 8 a.m. fans were already out en masse showing support for their teams with signs, costumes and even hair-dos at Ingalls Mall on U-M's campus for a telecast of ESPN's "College GameDay".

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Kyle Schultz of Brighton showed off his sign at the GameDay telecast.

John Counts | AnnArbor.com

Some of the signs, like "Notre Lame," were pretty easy to interpret. Many referenced U-M football coach Brady Hoke's's "chicken" comment, about the ending of the long-standing rivalry, with comments such as "Cluck of the Irish."

Kyle Schultz of Brighton got into the spirit, too, holding a sign with a chicken on it with the words, "Notre Dame New Logo" on it.

"Brian Kelly said it wasn't a real rivalry," Schultz said. "He chickened out."

U-M senior Jade Warner was clad in a maize and blue outfit .

"I thought I'd do something big," he said about the outfit. "I'm enjoying (GameDay) so far."

Notre Dame fans were also getting into the action.

Russ and Robin Paige had a sign that said "Kiss my dog, he's 'Irish.'" Sure enough, their spaniel was right next to them. And his name is Irish. The Paiges said they've been coming to Ann Arbor for years for the Michigan-Notre Dame game.

"We drove all the way from the mountains of North Carolina last night," Russ Paige said. "We don't want to see the ... series end." The couple and their pooch welcomed numerous U-M fans who walked up to give Irish a pet — despite the rivalry.

Russ Paige said he's always had a great experience in Ann Arbor for the game.

"If we weren't Notre Dame fans, we would be Michigan fans," the Boone, N.C., resident said.

Another Notre Dame fan, Liam Kane, wasn't satisfied with a temporary sign. He got his Irish pride shaved into his head.

The Notre Dame junior had "ND" and the school's leprechaun mascot buzzed into his head at a barber shop in South Bend, Ind. yesterday before hitting the road for Ann Arbor.

John Counts covers cops, courts and GameDay events for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

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