Glickman, Byrum target urban sprawl

JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily

State Rep. John Hansen (D-Dexter) and congressional candidate Dianne Byrum visit a farm yesterday in Scio Township, west of Ann Arbor.

By Hanna LoPatin

Daily Staff Reporter

As congressional candidate Dianne Byrum spoke against urban sprawl from the front steps of a Washtenaw County farm yesterday, she was forced to speak over the dozens of cars and trucks that roared past - exemplifying the very problems of which she was speaking.

Many of the trucks carried gravel to nearby construction sites, explained the farm's owner, Bruce Manny. He recently sold his development rights to the state to ensure his farmland would remain in its current forever.

Programs like this, which give farmers an edge in protecting their land from urban sprawl, were the subject of the speeches from Byrum (D-Onondaga), Rep. John Hansen (D-Dexter) and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.

"Land use is a very important issue," Byrum said afterward. "It deals with the quality of life for all families."

Barry Lonik, executive director of the Washtenaw Potawatomi Land Trust, said 4,000 acres of farmland are lost to developers each year. Farmers "can't compete with developers," he said.

weekend, more people will talk about the Peace Corps, then more people will hopefully become interested and more will be likely to join

At tomorrow's homecoming football game, Schneider will join University President Lee Bollinger and former Peace Corps volunteers from the University on the 50-yard-line for a special presentation ten minutes before kickoff.

Schneider said the events are "very important to remind everyone of the accomplishments that have occurred by students of the University of Michigan who responded to the words of Kennedy. Many continue in public service around the world.

"The 40th anniversary comes at a point where the Peace Corps is growing, and we want to ensure that it expands that reflects the diversity of the American people, and we want to find ways as we grow to respond to the increasing number of countries we are serving," he said.

Schneider said countries have been requesting volunteers skilled in information technology to teach the English language in African countries as well as individuals who can help confront the HIV/AIDS threat in Africa.

The Peace Corps has three main goals which have remained consistent over the past 40 years, even as the organization has endured significant changes, Schneider said. The goals are "to continue to fill the needs of developing countries for trained human power, convey through the volunteers that are living and working in the countries a greater understanding of who the American people are as a people and to encourage understanding here at home about what the reality is around the world," Schneider said.

Tom Napolitano, a 1966 graduate and Peace Corps alum, will participate in this weekend's events. Napolitano volunteered in Malaysia teaching math and physics for two years, beginning in September 1966, a few months after his graduation.

"The experience continues to affect me. I have not gone a day since I returned without thinking of Malaysia," Napolitano said.

National celebrations also are planned in collaboration with recruitment efforts, said Carol Wilkerson, public affairs specialist for the Peace Corps in Chicago.

"We are looking for individuals who have flexibility and who have business experience, agricultural experience, environmental experience, are health educators, teachers and speak other languages and who are from a variety of backgrounds," Wilkerson said.

"There will be a line up of recruitment events at the University Monday through Thursday, aiming to inform students on how they too can be a part of the Peace Corps," she said.

Throughout the year, there will be many events nationwide, including a gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., a symposium at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston and a final event on the Mall in Washington.