By Erica McClain Heritage Media I n our last look in our two-part series on the smaller downtowns ofWashtenaw County , we examine the perceived value of safeguarding the history of downto wn buildings and how various downtowns have done that. Last week, we focused on business vacancies in downtowns and what local officials are trying to do to fill them. What do you see for your downtown? Do you think its history should be pre- served? What new businesses would you like to see fill those empty storefronts? Heritage.com will host a live chat noon Jan. 11 on just that. We want to know your concerns and suggestions for improving your downtown. Please be sure to join us. A look inside our downtowns Turn to Page 4-A for Part II of our Downtown series By James David Dickson Heritage Media The Michigan Department of Education Michigan Board ofEducation approved a study new, tougher cut scores for both the MEAP test and the Michigan Merit Psychometrics unit con- ducted the study. While a student needed to answer roughly 39 percent of questions correctly to ers to pinpoint what their students know and don’t know, and where each student needs additional help in learning,” said state are prohibited from doing so. “Schools are not permit- ted to share any school- or district-level results with School districts receive MEAP scores for review Family seeks clean water for Africa Weave the Web: Make sure to click on www.heritage.com around the clock for the most in-depth coverage of Washtenaw County. Our most viewed story this week is “ANN ARBOR: Resident killed in car accident Saturday in Canada.” Check out our video: ■ 2ForU Click on the “jobs” tab on the home page of our website or go directly to http://jobs.heritage.com. Join us on Twitter: Become a Dexter Leader follower. Click on the Twitter tab on the home page of our website or go directly to http://twitter.com/ChelseaDexter. Join us on Facebook: Click on the Facebook tab on the home page of our website or search for us on Facebook. Get breaking news: To receive breaking news alerts, text HERNews to 22700 The Marketplace: Local ads are just a hop away at the MIcentral. com marketplace. While you are there, you can check out all the special supplements of Journal Register Co. newspapers in Michigan. 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 Calendar Page 3-B Death Notices Page 8-A Sports Page 1-C Community Page 1-B INDEX VOL. 142, NO. 1 THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012 75 ¢ THE DEXTER LEADER SRSLY celebrates the New Year Page 4-B INSIDE Today’s coupons are worth up to ... $ 153 Purple Rose to show ‘A Stone Carver’ Page 2-B INSIDE Council may opt to repair Edison Street By Christy Vander Haagen Special Writer Village Council might put off a paving proje ct on Main Street in 2012 to address problems with Edison Street. Council President Shawn Keough suggested to Council Tuesday night to hold off on the Main Str eet project for about a year. “Edison is really bad, I don’t know how well it is going to hold together” Keough said. Keough said the costs associated with the Main Street paving project are comparable to those ofthe Edison Street project. Construction cost estimates from January, 2011 were $375,000 for rehabilitation and $451,000 for recon- struction. Rehabilitation would include a ‘pulverize and overlay’ which entails additional aggregate to provide adequate road sta- bility . Reconstruction would involve full removal and replacemen t of aggregate and asphalt. The Edison Street project cost could be reduced by $16,000 due to the storm water improvements that have already been complet- ed as a result of this year’ s water main project. Several trustees, includ- ing Jim Carson, agreed Edison Street is in dire need of repair. Council members were uncertain at this point about the extent of work needed to repair Edison By Krista Gjestland Heritage Media After watching videos online of the challenges many African villagers face to get clean water, one Dexter fam- ily took it upon themselves to make a change through Wellspring homemade soap. The Varblow family is father, Matt; mother, Rachael; Sean, 13; Jimmy, 11; Joey, 9; Katie, 4; and 1-year-old Elena. Rachael and the three boys watched several YouTube videos on clean water in Africa. “We wer e horrified to learn of guinea worms and to see women digging in the mud beside a river to find water, then carrying 70-pound containers on their backs for miles as they returned to their homes,” Rachael wrote on the family’s blog. The plight of these people affected the boys especi ally . “We thought it was pretty horrible that they had to drink such disgusting water and that they had to go so far,” Jimmy said. Joey explained that African villagers often have to walk quite a distance only to have unsanitary water to drink. The Varblow family sits down to wrap and package their homemade soaps. All of the proceeds go to purchase a well for an African village. PLEASE SEE SOAP /3-A PLEASE SEE STREETS /3-A Project wouldput Main Streetpaving on holdGOLD OVER$1700!! WE WILL BEAT ANY OFFER BY 10% OR MORE! 1170 S. 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