1997-02-07; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 58
Mt. Pleasant,  MI 48859
©1997 CM LIFE
77 years of serving the community
FRIDAY
February 7, 1997
12 pages
Athletes, volunteers make 'Special' Olympics
By Tasha Gatlin
LIFE Staff Writer	
Less than ideal weather didn't
stop athletes and other participants from attending the 1997
Michigan Special Olympics
State Winter Games.
This year's games took place
for the 18th year at the Sugar
Loaf Mountain Resort in Cedar.
The four-day annual event officially began on Tuesday and will
conclude today.
More than 300 volunteers, 350
coaches and 950 athletes plus
family and friends journeyed
through ice storms and heavy
snow to cheer on those participating in alpine and cross country skiing, snow shoeing, speed
and figure skating.
Since MSO is headquartered
on campus, CMU students head
up the largest number of volunteers, said Steve Thompson,
games director and CMU's asso
ciate professor of physical education and sport.
"One-third of the games committee are former CMU students," Thompson said.
Hopkinson said. "You have to try
it at least once. These athletes
are the same as anyone else. You
don't have to treat them any different.
"You have to try it at least once. These athletes
are the same as anyone else. You don't have to
treat them any different/'
LINDSEY HOPKINSON
Lowell sophomore and first-time volunteer
CMU brought nearly 100 volunteers to the Winter Games.
"Without the volunteers, MSO
could not exist," said Ron
Franzen, MSO public relations
director.
Lindsey Hopkinson, Lowell
sophomore and firsl-limi: volunteer, plans to volunteer again.
"I love it. I don't think I've seen
so   much   spirit   in   an   athlete,"
"If you do it once, you'll want
to come back," she said.
As part of the event, Tuesday
and Wednesday were devoted to
time trials to evaluate the athletes' abilities with the last two
days used for competition,
Franzen said.
Wednesday night's opening
ceremony was kicked off with a
nighttime, downhill snowmobile
ride by the Wertz Warriors, a
band of 65 men and 30 support
crews that help raise money for
the Special Olympics through
fund raising.
The group traveled over 900
miles on a six-day trek from
Mount Clemens to Mackinaw
City and has worked with MSO
for 16 years.
Allison Moore, a 23-year-old
Grand Rapids resident and 11-
year participant in the Games,
was presented with the Rick
VanderSloot Winter Sports
Award for demonstrating the
philosophy "Nothing is impossible if I try."
Moore was presented with a
plaque and an official Wertz
Warrior jacket.
Last year's VanderSloot award
winner, Shcryl Stumbaugh from
Oakland   County,   lit  the torch,
See OLYMPICS Page 12	
LIFE Photos/Gabriel Guerrero
Special Olympians and volunteers from around the state gathered
at Sugar Loaf Ski Resort in Cedar to participate in four days of
winter sports.
(Top) Special
Olympian
D elf red
Ashbaker, of
Flint, digs in
and kicks up
snow as he
races for the fin-
•Sit uuRitQ one
of the heat
races in the
snowshoeing
competition
Wednesday.
(Bottom)   Frank
Webb, of
Lincoln Park
navigates his
way down the
Sugar Loaf
Alpine course.
See page 12 for
more coverage
of the games.
CMU,
Olympics
mark 25th
anniversary
■ Banner celebrating union will
be hung in Rose Arena Feb. 15
By Tasha Gatlin
LIFE Staff Writer
In this age of divorce, it is rare that unions
remain past 10 years, much less 25.
While most couples would call 25 years
together their "silver anniversary," CMU and
the Michigan Special Olympics are making
this their banner year.
To commemorate their quarter century
together, a banner displaying the Michigan
Special Olympics logo, the CMU logo and the
words "Sharing the spirit since 1972" will be
hung at halftime during the Feb. 15 CMU
University of Toledo basketball game in Rose
Arena.
"We had this opportunity. . . and we wanted to do something to symbolize our relationship," said Ron Franzen, public relations
director for the Michigan Special Olympics.
Members from the MSO Board of Directors
and CMU's University Relations brain-
stormed on how to celebrate their partnership and the idea of a banner was introduced.
"We want to highlight our relationship
with CMU this year, but especially at the
Summer Games. It's not hard to have a good
relationship with CMU," Franzen said.
LiFE Photo/Gabriel Guerrero
Special Olympian volunteers shake  on the ground doing what they have nicknamed
"snow-snake" in efforts to keep warm during the long hours.
Russ Herron, vice president of University
Relations, couldn't agree more.
"We've always been proud to be the home of
the Michigan Special Olympics," Herron
said. "We've had a long and very special relationship with them. We think having them
here adds something special to Mount
Pleasant and to the campus as a whole."
In regards to their "marriage-like" relationship, Herron said, "It is kind of like a
marriage. They were free to locate wherever
they wanted but they chose to locate here."
The Michigan Special Olympics Summer
Games will take place June 5-7 on CMU's
campus.
President's assistant will be paid $100,000
By Dorothy Nelson
Llr-E Assistant News Editor
Dennis Toffolo, who joined the university
as special assistant to the president last
month, will serve as a temporary senior officer until the year 2000.
The former president of Hudsons and CMU
alumnus will assist in representing the university in the metropolitan Detroit area.
According to University President Leonard
Plachta, Toffolo was temporarily appointed
as special assistant to the president because
the position was not designated to be permanent.
"The position was designed to help the university and me specifically as we try to reach
out to the Detroit metropolitan area," Plachta
said.
Rae Goldsmith, vice president of Public
Relations and Marketing, said Toffolo's temporary appointment is rare for senior officers.
"It's a fairly rare situation," Goldsmith
said, "but it's not unheard of on campus."
Plachta said Toffolo may have the opportu
nity to renew his contract with the university in 2000; however, the special assistant to
the president position is not dependent on
Toffolo's reappointment.
Plachta said the future status of the position is unclear.
"The long-term future of the position is
uncertain at this point," he said.
Toffolo's annual salary was set at $100,000.
His salary, the contract stated, may be
increased in subsequent years.
Plachta's annual salary was increased to
$160,000 last year.
Goldsmith said annual salary increase recommendations are made for senior officers'
salaries between June and July. The increases are changed yearly and are based on the
amount of money available for salary increases in the budget.
Toffolo will generally receive the benefits
provided to regular, full-time senior officers,
including university contributions to health
insurance, a prescription drugs program,
dental, life and disability insurance.
Toffolo's temporary appointment, however,
makes him ineligible for some benefits
awarded to other senior officers, Goldsmith
said.
Toffolo will not be able to participate in the
termination payment/transition leave program.
Goldsmith said the termination payment is
a financial arrangement paid to senior officers who lose their jobs with CMU when their
positions are eliminated.
The transition leave program is a transition period granted to senior officers who are
also members of an academic department on
campus. When senior officers' positions are
eliminated, the officers are given a transition
period before they return as faculty of the
departments they are a member of, she continued.
Toffolo is based in CMU's regional office in
Troy and ■will aid in the university's fund-
raising efforts, as well as with admission and
placement services and alumni relations.
Student pleads guilty
to drug charges
By Emily Gerkin
LIFE Staff Writer
Three days before his trial
was set to begin, Jason
Hrigora changed his plea to
guilty and will be sentenced
Feb. 21.
Hrigora, Brighton sophomore, is facing a felony charge
of possession of a controlled
substance, delivery/manufacturing of marijuana. He
changed his plea to guilty on
Jan. 24.
Hrigora was arrested the
night of Oct. 13 in a residence
hall drug bust.
According to Ron Williams,
associate director of the
Central   Michigan    University
Police, "officers obtained information" about drugs being
sold out of a residence hall
room and went to investigate.
At approximately 11:45 p.m.
Sunday, two CMU Police officers went to Carey Hall and
were admitted into a residence
hall room.
CMU Police then confiscated
approximately a pound and a
half of marijuana, hundreds of
dollars in cash and other drug
paraphernalia from two rooms
in Saxe Hall and one room in
Carey Hall.
Hrigora was arraigned Oct.
14 in Isabella County District
Court in  front of Judge Paul
See CHARGES Page 2	
Psychology profs dispute business matter in civil court
By Emily Gerkin
LiFE Staff Writer
Members of CMU's psychology
department are involved in a civil
suit surrounding the ownership of
a local business, Psychological
Services Properties.
Maureen Levine, professor of
psychology, and her husband,
Samuel Levine, entered into partnership with Robert and Sophie
Lovinger, both professors of psychology, in January 1988.
Together the foursome founded
PSP, located at 405 S. Main St.,
and became a registered business
with the Isabella County in Feb. 1,
1993. According to the Isabella
County Clerk's office, the co-partnership is good through 1998.
Samuel Levine died in
November 1995, at which time
Maureen no longer wanted to continue with PSP. She is suing the
Lovingers on three counts of civil
law, and filed her suit Jan. 7,
1997.
Maureen is claiming, according
to Michigan civil law, that
Samuel's death causes a disas-
semblement of the partnership.
She would like the Lovingers to
wind up the current business
affairs and terminate the business.
She is also claiming that the
defendants have failed to pay her
a percent of the equity in the net
partnership or allow her to participate in the management of PSP.
Maureen     and     her     Mount
Pleasant attorney, Thomas Hall,
both declined to comment.
In their response brief, filed at
the end of January, the Lovingers
have denied all of Maureen's
claims, including those that they
do not allow her to look at the
accounting books or provide her
with accounts of the assets and
liabilities.
In their interpretation of
Michigan civil law, the Lovingers'
brief said Samuel's death does not
require  them  to end  their busi
ness, it only gives them the option
to do so.
Robert and Sophie Lovinger
also declined to comment. They
are represented by Sue Jeffers, of
Mount Pleasant.
Maureen is asking the court to
appoint a receiver to PSP to wind
up any pending business situations and terminate the partnership, while granting her 50 percent. She would also like the
Lovingers to provide an immediate account of all PSP assets.
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