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Click on “marketplace” on the home page of our website or go directly to www.marketplace.micentral. com/ROP/Categories.aspx. Editorial Page 6-A Death Notices Page 16-A Sports Page 1-B Community Page 1-C Calendar Page 3-C INDEX VOL. 141, NO. 40 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011 75 ¢ THE DEXTER LEADER Renowned quilter will hold book signing Page 11-A INSIDE Today’s coupons are worth up to ... $ 135 $10,000 Kiwanis raffle winners announced Page 3-A INSIDE SPECIAL REPORT: HERITAGE MEDIA LOOKS ‘BEHIND THE SMOKE’ Has Michigan’s medical marijuana law made pot more socially acceptable? By Karen Workman Journal Register News Service W hether Michigan’s medical marijuana law has made the drug more socially acceptable — for medical uses or recreational — appears to depend on the individual. “Sometimes there’s a perception that college kids have very permissive atti- tudes about drugs across the board and that is not true at all,” said Amanda Burgess-Proctor, an assistant professor of sociology at Oakland University . Burgess-Proctor teaches the course “Alcohol, drugs and society” and says that while it’s hard to gauge an overall attitude toward marijuana based on the students in her class — especially because they’ve signed up for a course with the word “drugs” in its name — there is one perception that seems to ring true. — you’re either for it or against it,” Bouvier said. “What I’ve seen … since the medical marijuana (law) passed, there’s been an uproar with kids using pot. It’s so much more accept- able.” For 14-year-old Alyssa and 15-year- old Trent, a brother and sister who both attend public schools in Oakland County , recreational use of the drug among their peers is not uncommon, they said. Both sked their last names be Amanda Burgess- Proctor, teaches a course called “alco- hol, drugs and society” at Oakland University. PLEASE SEE POT /3-A See related “Behind the Smoke” coverage on Pages 5-A and 8-A. Cityhood debate continues By Sean Dalton Heritage Media Village officials will send a letter in a final attempt to head off the Stat e Boundary Commission’s finding of legal insufficien - cy in its second cityhood petition. The letter will be sent to the the state’s depart- ment of Licensing an d Regulatory Affairs, which approves or denies peti- tions for cityhood and denied Dexter’s request Aug. 18. The petition was denied for a second time with protests from Webster Township officials and the Dexter Area Historical Society. At the heart of the mat- ter is an advisory opinion issued by the state attorney general’s office stating that Dexter’s incorporation as a city would repeal a Public Act 425 agreement, which Dexter and Webster have in the Westridge subdivision to share tax revenue. As part of the village’ s petition, the Westridge subdivision and Mill Creek Sporting Goods, which is also covered by the Public Act 425 agreement, were brought into the proposed city boundary . The village will have to decide at an Oct. 10 meet- ing whether to file in a petition for court review in the Ingham County Circuit Court, where boundary commission hearings take place, or restart the entire petition process over again. There is also a chance that Webster may appeal the circuit court after the judge, in a juryless proceed- ing, rules in such a way that the commission is compelled to reverse the second legal insufficiency recommendation. “I don’t see any way in which we can be guaran- teed (a third petition will not be challenged anyway) … I don’t think we can sat- isfy Webster Township, and I don’t think we can satisfy the boundary commission,” said Council Trustee Paul Cousins. “I think it would be another long term pro- cess to take a chance to have that happen and I’m not sure what you’d put in a petition to make anybody happy.” Cousins figured that the village will spend money either way , so i t may as well go the legal route. Trustee Jim Carson said that he was confident in a favorable decision to compel the boundary commission to grant legal sufficiency so the petition process can move forward, but he was skeptical of the time investment and long term success in the face of an appeal by Webster. “If we do that, somebody is going to come back, and they are going to appeal that,” Carson said. “We have a long process ahead of ourselves pursuing that, but if we try to redo the boundary again or take the legal action … I don’t think it’s going to be done in six months.” The only way out of a court or third petition appeal by Webster is if the unsealed advisory opinion is ruled as incorrect in a court room. The village’s cityhood attorney , Tom Ryan, feels that the village has a strong case that could be resolved swiftly. “Fortunately, in our mat- ter , we have one real issue, which is the issue of law only , as to whether or not the Act 425 Agreements can be included in our peti- tion for incorporation or not,” Ryan said in a letter to Council. “The other rea- sons of the bounda ry com- mission – as to the parties getting together to work it out, or not wanting to cause litigation, or a deal is a deal – are not valid ‘reasons’ in my view and should be dis- posed of quickly . “The question comes down to whether or not the commission made an error of law by refus- ing to include the Act 425 Agreement properties in our incorporation peti- tion.” Council to take next steps in petition battle at Oct. 10 meeting Sidewalk project will join Cedars By Sean Dalton Heritage Media The village finalized an agreement with the Washtenaw County Road Commission this month for services involving the Cedars of Dexter sidew alk connec- tion. The connection is a vital access point to the Mill Creek Park project, which is cur- rently under construction, as well as the county’s Border- to-Border Trail, which will bring walking path con- nectivity into parts of Scio Township and the nearby Huron Metro Parks. Road commission official Roy Townsend recommended that the path be built as an 8-foot nonmotorized path configuration, rather than a 5-foot sidewalk, which was an option on the table to reduce project costs. “(Townsend) responded that he strongly recom- mends the 8-foot asphalt path because the path will only run on one side of the street GOLD OVER $1600!! WE WILL BEAT ANY OFFER BY 10% OR MORE! 1170 S. MAIN STREET • CHELSEA Minutes from Ann Arbor I-94 Exit 159 433-9900 (734) Chelsea Rare Coins Sell Your Unwanted/ Broken Jewelry Here WE BUY ALL COINS & CURRENCY TOP $ FOR GOLD & SILVER