Best Bets . . . . . . .2ACelebrity News . . 2AClassified . . . . . . 7BComics . . . . . . . . 6BCounty . . . . . . . . .3ACrossword . . . . . . 6B

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INDEX

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 www.livingstondaily.com 50¢

Volume 165 Number 155

Inside: Check out new Livingston Life

ENTERTAINMENT

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Visit livingstondaily.com to watchvideo of Brandon Joshua-Freder-ick Hayes, suspected of killing a 4-year-old boy, in court Monday.

Online:Supreme Court nominee ElenaKagan was bluntly challenged byRepublicans on Tuesday. SeeNation & World, page 7A.

Inside:

By Frank KonkelDAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Green Oak Township policeofficers testified Tuesday that theyfound several loaded weapons atthe home of Robert William Lupoon Nov. 20 while investigating theshooting of then-15-year-old Nich-olas O’Brian, which occurred ear-lier that evening.

In the second day of Lupo’strial, Officers Matt Hughes andJoel Allen and Sgt. Marty Otmantestified that five loaded weapons— including the .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol used to shootO’Brian — were found and con-fiscated at Lupo’s residence dur-ing the investigation.

The police officers also con-

firmed in court that the .40-caliberbullet fired by Lupo that struckO’Brian in the back ricocheted offLupo’s asphalt driveway. Policesaid the bullet struck the drivewaymore than 30 feet from whereO’Brian was believed to be whenthe shot was fired.

“Lupo told us where theweapons were (during the investi-gation),” Otman said. “He wascooperative.”

Police allege Lupo shot O’Brianas he and friends Jake Reeves,Evan Hughes and Michael Curmi

Resident whoshot teen had 5loaded weaponsWife defends husband, says theywere worried about an ‘ambush’

By Christopher BehnanDAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Howell Soft Cloth Car Washowner Tom O’Connell said theMichigan Film Office misquotedhim in its 2009 annual report inorder to “justify” Michigan’s gen-erous film-tax-incentive program.

O’Connell sold diesel fuel tothe production of the stoner com-edy “High School,” shot primarilyat the Howell Public SchoolsParker Campus in Marion Town-ship in late 2008.

His business, at 1009 S.Michigan Ave. in Howell, wasone of several “individual successstories” the Film Office listed inthe Film Office report.

O’Connell is quoted as saying,“It definitely made my fiscal year.I’d do it again tomorrow. Sendthem back,” following data stating

his diesel-fuel business doubledin fall of 2008 as a result of “HighSchool” shooting in the area.

He said he’d welcome morebusiness from film companiesshooting in Michigan, but that hewas misquoted as saying the pro-gram “made my fiscal year.”

“I said, ‘Absolutely not,’ ”O’Connell recalled of his conver-

sation with Ken Droz, Film Officespokesman.

“It’s not even close to makingmy fiscal day,” he added.

O’Connell said Droz called himtwice before O’Connell leftMichigan for the winter inDecember.

He said Droz attempted to elic-it positive responses from him toMichigan’s film-tax incentive —which rebates up to 42 percent ofproduction-related expenses —rather than to get an accurate busi-ness story.

During the filming of “HighSchool,” O’Connell’s diesel-fuelbusiness increased from about 25gallons to 50 gallons per day to asmuch as 300 gallons per day,according to the report andO’Connell’s estimates.

The “High School” productionpaid an upfront, $3,000 security

deposit with O’Connell, and paida weekly bill for purchased dieselfuel.

What the film report doesn’texplain, O’Connell said, is thatdiesel fuel — and the gas stationbusiness as a whole — makes upa fraction of his overall revenues.

He said his car wash, locatednext to his gas station, brings inabout 95 percent of his revenue,and that he saw no increase in car-wash sales while the film was intown.

He estimated the deal broughtin about $2,400 per week indiesel-fuel sales, but far less inactual business profits. The pro-duction also purchased fivepropane tanks from his business.

“There’s no significance to it.It’s an insignificant amount of

Man: Film Office misquoted meCar wash owner says comments used to justify incentive program

By Leah BoydDAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Howell High School graduateNora Kandler has continued afamily tradition by making theDaily Press & Argus’ 2010 All-County Academic Team.

Kandler, who graduated fromHowell High School this year, isthe third child in her family tograduate from Howell HighSchool with top honors, followingthe lead of her brothers. BrotherMatt was valedictorian at HowellHigh School in 2006. BrotherNeil graduated summa cum laudein 2005.

“My two older brothers havemotivated me to succeed becausethey both got all A’s during highschool,” Nora Kandler said. “Itwas me trying to follow in theirfoot steps and be like them.”

Although she may have imitat-ed the study habits of her siblings,she earned the All-County Aca-demic Team honor all on her own.

During her high school years,she earned a 3.97 grade-pointaverage and scored a 34 on theACT. She took eight AdvancedPlacement classes, including AP

Calculus and AP Chemistry, toearn college credit. She alsoranked fourth in her class out of570 students.

Grad’s good gradesare a family trait

Continued on page 4

Photo by ALAN WARD/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Howell High School gradu-ate Nora Kandler visits withher pet bird. She’s the thirdchild in her family to gradu-ate with top honors.

OUR NEIGHBORS

Photo by ALAN WARD/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Howell Soft Cloth Car Wash owner Tom O’Connell said theMichigan Film Office misquoted him in its 2009 annualreport in order to “justify” Michigan’s generous film-tax-incentive program. Continued on page 5

COURTS

Continued on page 4

What do you think? Shareit at livingstondaily.com.

“It’s not even closeto making my fiscal

day.”

— Tom O’ConnellHowell Soft Cloth Car Wash owner,

on being misquoted by the Michigan Film Office in its annual report

By Sarah K. NorrisDAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Pesky invasive species thathave managed to reach Michiganlike the emerald ash borer beetle,zebra mussels and the gypsy mothseem to get all the headlines.

But for state park workers andDepartment of Natural Re-sources and Environment offi-cials, invasive plants are the day-to-day nuisance throughout thespring, summer and fall months.The job of removing invasiveplant species is so big, parksofficials often rely on volunteersto help with the effort.

“Our focus is restoring theecosystem as a whole,” said LaurelMalvitz-Draper, natural resourcesteward with the Michigan DNRE.“In a lot of cases, that starts withinvasive-species control.”

Like other invasive species,invasive plants present a prob-lem when they begin to overrunand crowd out the plants nativeto Michigan’s forests, wetlandsand lakes.

One plant targeted for re-moval in the early summer isOriental bittersweet, a vine ini-tially introduced as an ornamen-tal plant for gardens.

“It inhibits the growth ofnative species, not only affectingthe native species, but affectingpeople’s ability to see thosespecies,” said Paul Muelly, chiefof natural resources at Ken-sington Metropark.

Oftentimes, the plants nowconsidered invasive were onceused for landscaping, food orground cover. But because thespecies come from other parts ofthe world, their natural inhibitorsaren’t transferred to their newhomes, causing them to grow andspread unchecked.

“Autumn olive is a huge prob-lem in these parks,” said Muelly.

ENVIRONMENT

Getting to the root of the problemInvasive plantspresent majorproblems forpark workers

Photo by GILLIS BENEDICT/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

Laurel Malvitz-Draper of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmentpulls a garlic mustard plant from the wooded trails of the Brighton State RecreationArea as part of a routine patrol for invasive plants such at the garlic mustard plant.Continued on page 4

DAILY PRESS & ARGUS-Wednesday, June 30, 20104A

STATE OF MICHIGAN44TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

JUDICIAL CIRCUITORDER FOR ALTERNATE SERVICE

CASE NO. 10-25146

COURT ADDRESS: 204 S. HighlanderWay, Ste. 5, Howell, MI 48843, 517-546-9816.PLAINTIFF:Citibank, N.A.PLAINTIFF’S ATTORNEY:Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson &Hornik, LLC, David J. Canine (P61828),30500 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 500,Farmington Hills, MI 48334, 877-667-8010.

-v-DEFENDANT:Ronald F. Lentz, 505 E. Barron Rd.,Howell, MI 48855-8351, 517-552-6205.

THE COURT FINDS:1. Service of process upon defen-

dant Ronald F. Lentz cannot reasonablybe made as provided in MCR 2.105and service of process may be made ina manner which is reasonably calculat-ed to give defendant actual notice ofthe proceedings and an opportunity tobe heard.

IT IS ORDERED:2. Service of the summons and

complaint and a copy of this order maybe made by the following methods:

a. First class mail to: 505 E. BarronRd., Howell, MI 48855-8351.

b. Tacking or firmly affixing to thedoor at: 505 E. Barron Rd., Howell, MI48855-8351.

c. N/Ad. Other: Certified mail return

receipt requested.e. Publication per court rule.3. For each method used, proof of

service must be filed promptly with thecourt.Dated: 6-15-10

Judge David J. Reader

(6-30 &-7/14-10 DAILY 500095)

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, published by Federated Publications, Inc, awholly owned subsidiary of Gannett Co. Inc, 323 E. Grand River, Howell Michigan, estab-lished in 1843, is published daily Sunday through Friday in Livingston County, Michigan,and serves the cities of Howell and Brighton, the villages of Fowlerville and Pinckney, and16 unincorporated townships of Livingston County. Phone 548-2000, Area Code 517.Entered as periodical matter at the Howell, Michigan (48843) Post Office under Act ofMarch 3, 1897. Subscription rates 50 cents per single issue/$1.25 on Sundays.Sunday/Holiday* only subscription $16.64 for 13 wks. inside Livingston County. $26.36 for13 wks. out of county inside the state of Michigan. $30.24 for 13 wks. out of state. 6-daysubscription rates $33.15 for 13 wks. inside Livingston County. $194.38 per year out ofcounty inside the state of Michigan. $225.47 per year out of state.*Sunday/Holiday subscriptions also include delivery on these days in 2010: 1/1, 5/31, 7/5,9/6, 11/25 and 12/24.

PUBLICATION NO. USPS 316-500

General Manager & Executive EditorRichard Perlberg

Metro Editor - News . . . . . .Mike MalottCopy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . .Matt SmithCopy Editor . . . . . . .Christopher NagyCopy Editor . . . . . . . . . . .John MuellerMultimedia Editor . . . . . . . .Alan WardPhotographer . . . . . . . .Gillis BenedictStaff Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .Jim TottenStaff Reporter . . . .Christopher BehnanStaff Reporter . . . .Lisa Roose-ChurchStaff Reporter . . . . . . . . .Frank Konkel

Staff Reporter . . . . . . . . . . .Leah BoydStaff Reporter . . . . . . . . .Sarah NorrisSports Editor . . . . . . . . .Tim RobinsonSports Reporter . . . . . . .Rick ShepichSports Reporter . . . . . . .Dan StrawserEditorial Assistant . . . . . .Diane TimlickRetail Ad Manager . . . . . . .John UtterSales Consultant . . . .Louis GlubzinskiSales Consultant . . . . . .Mary WheelerSales Consultant . . . . .Renee MagalukSales Consultant . . . . . . . .Amy NovakEditor - Niche Products . .Candy Spiegel

Postmaster: Send address changes to Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, 323 E.Grand River, Howell, MI 48844BUSINESS OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517/548-2000CIRCULATION OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .888/840-4809DISPLAY ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517/548-2000EDITORIAL OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517/548-2000WANT ADS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517/548-2570

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GRAND OPENING!

COUNTY

Each year, the Daily Press &Argus names an All-CountyAcademic Team from amongthe top students in LivingstonCounty’s five school districts.The students are nominated byschool administrators. The finalmembership of the team isdetermined strictly by a mathe-matical formula based ongrade-point averages and testscores. This year, 12 studentshave been selected to the teambecause of a six-way tie forseventh place.

For the next week, teammembers will be featured innews stories and their nameswill be added to the team list.

■ The 2010 Daily Press &Argus All-County AcademicTeam

• June 20: Mairin Chesney ofBrighton High School

• June 21: Nick Ruff ofPinckney Community HighSchool

• June 22: Josie Limburg ofHartland High School

• June 23: Veronica Burt ofHartland High School

• Thursday: Jaclyn Burr ofBrighton High School

• Friday: Scott Parker ofFowlerville High School

• Sunday: Zach Jones ofPinckney Community HighSchool

• Monday: Zach Roggenkampof Brighton High School

• Tuesday: Shannon Doud ofBrighton High School

• Today: Nora Kandler ofHowell High School

THE ALL-COUNTY ACADEMIC TEAM

Outside the classroom, sheserved on the Howell High Schoolstudent council and as vice presi-dent of the school’s NationalHonor Society. As a flute player,she also participated in theschool’s wind ensemble.

In the fall, Nora Kandler willhead to the University of Miami inFlorida to study marine science.

“I just find plants and animalsreally interesting, especially in thewater,” she said. “I’m aimingtoward being some type ofresearch scientist.”

However, her interests go farbeyond science. The 17-year-oldis also a big fan of music, having

played the flute for the past sevenyears. She is also a dancer whospent 10 years practicing balletand now participates in a swingdance club every week.

She described her personalityas adventurous and said she islooking forward to attending col-lege out of state.

“I wanted to pick an out-of-state school specifically because Iwanted to experience a new placeand meet a lot of new people,” shesaid. “I’m going to join as manyclubs as I have time for so that Ican try new things out.”

Contact Daily Press & Argusreporter Leah Boyd at (517)552-2857 or at ldboyd@gan-nett.com.

Grad’s good gradesare a family traitContinued from page 1

LOTTERYDETROIT (AP) — Here are

the winning numbers selectedTuesday in the Michigan StateLottery:

Midday Daily 3: 3-8-7Midday Daily 4: 5-9-2-5Daily 3: 5-1-6Daily 4: 5-0-1-0Fantasy 5: 1-6-15-24-39

Keno: 1, 2, 3, 14, 15, 16, 19,27, 31, 34, 37, 43, 46, 54, 55, 56,57, 58, 64, 69, 74, 75

Mega Millions: 3-4-15-27-37Mega Ball: 35

Tuesday’s Mega Millions jack-pot was estimated at $16 million.

Today’s Classic Lotto 47 jack-pot is estimated at $1.8 million.

— who were pranking area residentsthe evening of Nov. 20 — attemptedto ring the doorbell of Lupo’s homein the 13000 block of Sumac Lane inthe County Lane Estates subdivisionnorth of 10 Mile Road.

Otman testified the Green OakTownship Police Departmentsecured the loaded .40-calibersemiautomatic pistol that shotO’Brian, in addition to a .357-magnum handgun, a 12-gaugeshotgun, a Colt .45-caliber hand-gun and a .44 magnum handgun.

Lupo’s wife, Janyce Lupo, tookthe stand Tuesday, defending herhusband.

A Green Oak Township residentfor three years, she testified that herhusband kept the loaded guns in thehome for protection after he was thevictim of several burglary attemptswhen they lived in Detroit.

In the 1980s, Janyce Lupo saidshe was also the victim of a burgla-ry. She said homeowners in the areareceived several e-mail warningsabout potential pranksters and van-dalism, both of which she said werereportedly “on the rise” in the area.

“If we were ever broken into,we could handle the situation,”

Janyce Lupo said, noting that thecouple lived on a dead-end road.

While living in Green OakTownship, Janyce Lupo said, thecouple never experienced a crime.

Janyce Lupo said her husbandwas a “responsible gun owner” andthat she believed he fired “a warn-ing shot” toward the ground outsidethe home only after repeated ring-ing at their door. After the first ring-ing, Janyce Lupo said she and herhusband dismissed it as “prank-sters,” but she said the situation “gotscary” after a second ringing, thisone “frantic.” She told the jury shefelt like the individuals outsidemight try to “ambush” them.

“The door rang more thanonce,” said Janyce Lupo. “(Thewhole thing) was alarming.”

Janyce Lupo said she did notsee the gun her husband used.

Assistant Prosecutor KolletteBordeaux asked Janyce Lupo whysome of her testimony conflictedwith the police report she filedNov. 20. Janyce Lupo admittedthere was some “discrepancy”between accounts, but said watch-ing her husband being handcuffedmay have impacted her statementto Green Oak Township police.

Robert Lupo is expected to tes-

tify today.Defense attorney Dennis Brew-

er told the jury Monday thatRobert Lupo feared for his safetywhen the four juveniles disturbedhis property, and he fired a warn-ing shot with his .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol into the ground.

On Tuesday, Matt Hughes, whodrew a detailed map of Lupo’shome during the investigation,told jurors he estimated the bulletimpacted asphalt “about 33 feet”from where O’Brian’s testimonysuggested he was when he wasstruck by the bullet.

Allen, a veteran patrolman of30 years, discovered the rico-chet’s location Nov. 20.

Allen testified that the asphaltdriveway at the Lupo home had “justbeen sealed,” so the location wherethe bullet ricocheted off it was easy

to find. He also said Robert Lupomust have been “standing a waysback,” otherwise the bullet’s sharpangle would have bored into theasphalt, not ricocheted off it.

When cross-examined by Brew-er, Allen said the Green Oak PoliceDepartment did not try to determinewhere the shot was fired.

On Monday, O’Brian told jurorshe and his three friends venturedout that evening to go “ding-dongditching,” selecting “random hous-es” where the object was to “ringdoorbells and run.” He was the firstof the four boys to testify.

Circuit Judge Michael Hattysaid he hopes to get the case to thejury by this afternoon.

Contact Daily Press & Argusreporter Frank Konkel at (517)552-2835 or at fkonkel@gan-nett.com.

CARL F. SCHLAGER BYRON, MICHIGAN

Age 89, passed away on June 27,2010. He was born July 18, 1920 inBatavia, New York to Carl J. andAdeline Schlager. Carl served in theU.S. Marine Corp. during WWII. He isretired from Atmosphere FurnaceCompany where he worked as a PipeFitter. He is preceded in death by hissister and Brother-in-law Betty andMax Woodruff. Carl is survived byPatricia, his wife of 64 years; daugh-ters, Lyn Pettigrew of Ohio, Cindy(Marvin) Witt of Byron; son, Carl E.(Suzanne) Schlager of Howell; grand-children, David (Leah) Pettigrew,Andrew Pettigrew, Stephanie (Scott)McRae, and Brandon Schlager; great-grandchildren, Ethan and SophiaPettigrew; brother, Wilbur (Evelyn)Schlager of Florida. There will be noservices. The family is being servedby Gorsline Runciman FuneralHomes, Williamston. Online condo-lences may be made at;

gorslineruncimanwilliamston.com

OLIVE F. EASONAge 89, of Howell Township, died ather home Sunday, June 27, 2010.She was born February 13, 1921 inDetroit, the daughter of Byron andGladys (Warner) Fockler. Belovedwife of the late Harold E. Eason whopreceded her in death November 2,2005. Dear mother of Robert ofGregory, Larry (Julaine) of Howell,Edward of Howell, Ray (Kathleen) ofFowlerville, Gerald of Fowlerville andSteven of Howell; also ten grandchil-dren,15 great-grandchildren and sis-ters, Marion Garlock of Fowlervilleand Helen (Dean) Sellman ofOscoda. Olive was one of thefounders and oldest living memberof Marr Community Bible Church.Visitation will be Wednesday from 2-4 & 6-8 p.m.; funeral servicesThursday 11 a.m. at MacDonald’sFuneral Home, Howell. Burial inSanford Cemetery. Memorial contri-butions may be made to the Church.Please sign the family’s guestbook atwww.macdonaldsfuneralhome.com

PATRICK WALKER EATONAge 61 and a resident of FlowerMound, TX., passed away at hishome on June 26, 2010 surroundedby his family. Born on March 14,1949 in Coldwater, MI to Dr. Louis C.and Ida M. Eaton, Pat was raised inHowell, Michigan, graduating fromHowell High School in 1967 after set-ting several state track and fieldrecords. Pat later graduated fromMichigan State University and had aloyal 36-year career with Exxon-Mobil. Pat was a devoted father, hus-band, son and brother, and lovedmore than anything to spend timewith his family and friends. He wasan avid golfer and enjoyed volunteer-ing as a player's assistant atBridlewood Golf Club. He is survivedby his wife, Jane Eaton and twodaughters, Taryn Eaton Spence andher husband Adam, Jaclyn EatonMcDaniel and her husband Bryan,and one son, Michael Addison Eaton.He is also survived by his father, Dr.Louis C. Eaton, his sister, MaryHeikkinen and brothers Daniel andJohn Eaton. A memorial service cel-ebrating Pat's joyful and accom-plished life will be held on Thursday,July 1, 2010 in Flower Mound, TX. Inlieu of flowers, the family requeststhat donations be made in Pat'shonor to The Prostate CancerFoundation (www.pcf.org).

PassagesCall 888-999-1288 or Email lcp-obits@gannett.comView Passages Online: www.livingstondaily.com

Obituaries, Memorials & Remembrances

STATE OF MICHIGANLIVINGSTON COUNTY

CIRCUIT COURT

CASE NO. 10-25119-CZPLAINTIFF:Citibank, (South Dakota), N.A.,PLAINTIFF’S ATTORNEY:Cortez Jenkins & Blair PLLC, PO Box532110, Livonia, MI 48153-2110, 734-427-3140.

-vs-DEFENDANT:Amy E. Devalk, aka Amy E. Lakotich,3901 Beckley Dr., Howell, MI 48855-7310.

AMENDED ORDER FORALTERNATE SERVICE/PUBLICATION

At a session of said Court held at:Livingston County, Howell, MI 48843.Honorable: David J. Reader (P27877),Judge.

It appears to the Court from theattached petition and supporting affi-davit that service of process upon theabove-named Defendant cannot rea-sonably be made as provided in MCR2.105 and that service of process maybe made in a manner which is reason-ably calculated to give Defendant actu-al notice of the proceedings and anopportunity to be heard.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED thatservice of the Summons andComplaint and a copy of this order bemade by the following methods:

Publication per court rule.Certified mail (return receipt

requested) to the address listed above.Tacking or firmly affixing to the door

at the address listed above.Publishing a copy of the order once

each week for 3 (three) consecutiveweeks in a newspaper in the countywhere the Defendant resides.

Citibank (South Dakota), N.A.,(Plaintiff), has filed an action againstAmy E. Devalk, (Defendant) seeking amonetary judgment in the LivingstonCounty Circuit Court.

If Amy E. Devalk wishes to contestthis case she must file an Answer at theCourt Clerk’s office located at:Livingston County Circuit Court, 204 S.Highlander Way, Suite 5, Howell, MI48843 with 28 days of the completion ofservice of process pursuant to thisorder.

Failure to file an answer in a timelyfashion may result in the entry of aDefault Judgment in favor of thePlaintiff and against the Defendant forthe amount requested by the Plaintiff.

For each method used, proof ofservice must be filed promptly with theCourt.Dated: 6-21-10

Judge David J. Reader

(6-30 & 7-7/14-10 DAILY 500334)

OBITUARY POLICYThe first seven lines of an obit-uary are published free ofcharge. After that, there is a feeof $3 a line. Pictures may bepublished for $25.

*Deadline for obituaries is4:30 p.m. Monday throughThursday for publication in thenext morning’s newspaper.Obituaries received Friday orSaturday by 1 p.m. will bepublished in Sunday’s newspa-per.

For more information,call 888-999-1288,

or contact your funeral home.*Holiday deadlines are subject to change.

Resident had five weaponsContinued from page 1

INFO ON SOME INVASIVE PLANTSThese plants are some persistent and common invasive species

in Michigan. Invasive species are brought from other areas in theworld, but without the natural checks on their growth, theyspread out of control.

• Oriental bittersweet: Originally from East Asia, this vinegrows along the ground, smothering plants and uprooting treeswith its weight. Park workers will treat the plants with herbicideto eliminate it.

• Garlic mustard: Because its leaves are edible, garlic mustardwas brought for cultivation from Europe in the 1800s. This year,the state’s Volunteer Stewardship program organized a GarlicMustard Challenge to encourage people to uproot the plantbefore it went to seed.

• Autumn olive: This shrub is native to Asia, and was actuallyplanted in some parks to provide cover for wildlife. It can betreated with herbicide, or the shrubs can be removed by workersand volunteers beginning in the early summer.

• Eurasian watermilfoil: An aquatic invasive plant which canbecome very dense and shade out native vegetation and impairthe ability of fish to spawn. It can be removed by hand-pulling ortreatment with herbicide.

“Until not too many years ago,it was planted as wildlife cover —we actually planted it,” he added.

Autumn olive is a shrub and, inthe summer, workers begin toremove the invasive shrub plantslike honeysuckle and buckthorn.Removal of the shrub will contin-ue into the winter.

However, state DNRE workersand park employees can’t controlthe invasive species on their own.Malvitz-Draper coordinates astewardship program for south-eastern Michigan, which aims toget volunteers involved in pre-venting the spread of invasiveplants and protecting some ofMichigan’s rare ecosystems.

One such ecosystem is a “fen,”found at the Brighton LakeRecreation Area, where the DNRErecently held a volunteer workday toremove glossy buckthorn.

“A fen is a special type of wet-land we have ... it’s considered aglobally rare ecosystem,” Mal-vitz-Draper said. Because thewater in a fen comes from calci-um-rich, nutrient-poor groundwa-ter, it’s a good place for plants likethe carnivorous sundew and pitch-er plants.

Unfortunately, glossy buck-

thorn also thrives in wetlands, andif left unchecked would choke outthe native plants, and destroy thehabitat of the insects and birdsthat live in those wetlands.

Invasive plants don’t only growon land — Muelly said severalinvasive plants thrive in theMichigan’s lakes too.

“(These plants) directly impactboating, swimming and fishing,”he said.

As the weather and the water inthe lakes warms, Muelly and hisstaff will begin to treat theseaquatic invasive plants, includingEurasian milfoil, starry stonewortand curly leaf pondweed with herbicide.

Though invasive species arespread by the wind, birds and ani-mals, many times people travelingthrough the parks help the spreadof invasive plant seed.

“The seeds are transferred espe-cially along trails and roads andparking lots,” Malvitz-Drapersaid. “People should make suretheir boots and clothes are free ofmud and seeds. We need to do abetter job of getting that informa-tion out there.”

Contact Daily Press & Argusreporter Sarah K. Norris at (517)552-2828 or at sknorris@gan-nett.com.

Invasive plants present bigproblems for park workersContinued from page 1

A Hamburg Township manaccused of trying to run over hiswife is facing life in prison afterthe Livingston County prosecu-tor’s office amended criminalcharges filed against him.

Mark Decker was initiallycharged with a 10-year felony ofassault with intent to commitgreat bodily harm less than mur-der for allegedly trying to runhis wife over on ThanksgivingDay.

However, Decker’s case wassent from Circuit Court to DistrictCourt for a preliminary exam afterthe prosecutor’s amended thecharge to assault with intent tomurder — an offense punishableby up to life in prison. The hear-ing is set for July 12.

Decker also is charged withfelonious assault, interfering withelectronic communication, andtwo counts of operating a vehiclewhile intoxicated.

Hamburg Township police saidthey were dispatched to Decker’shome in the 9200 block ofHamburg Road at about 5:30 p.m.Nov. 26 for a domestic situation,

reportedly about a cell phone thatDecker allegedly took from afamily member.

However, when police arrived,the defendant had left the home.

Police said Decker was given aride to Brighton, but once at thatundisclosed destination, Decker“tricked” the family member andtook off in the car.

Decker reportedly returnedhome, where he “went inside andtook some stuff” before having aphysical confrontation with hiswife, whom he tried to run down,police said.

Police said Decker, who wasbelieved to be driving drunk, thenleft the home again at about 6:50p.m. and collided head-on withanother vehicle on Hamburg Roadnear Cranmore Drive whenDecker crossed the centerline.

Charges amendedagainst Hamburg man

COURTDOCKET