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Detroit Free Press; 11/22/06
Topic Started: Nov 22 2006, 07:29 AM (115 Views)
NFarquharson
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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../611220448/1007

Published: November 22. 2006 3:00AM
Metro Detroit
Dangerous toys lurking in stores
New safety report zeros in on toxins in playthings

November 22, 2006

BY FRANK WITSIL

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

David Pettit, right, spokesman with the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, and Holly Bair, trauma program manager at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, at far left, share information from the 21st annual toy safety report Tuesday at Beaumont. (Photos by WILLIAM ARCHIE/Detroit Free Press)

For more product safety facts

The Public Interest Research Group in Michigan has released its 21st annual toy safety survey, which includes warnings about toys that might pose a health risk.

For PIRGIM's full report, go to www.pirgim.org.

For more information on recalls by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission or on product safety, go to www.cpsc.gov.

To report a problem with a toy, call the CPSC Hotline at 800- 638-2772.
They're cute and popular but toymaker Mattel on Tuesday announced the voluntary recall of its Polly Pocket dolls and accessories with magnets, after three incidents in which children were injured.

Toys with magnets can be especially dangerous to young children, said officials with the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, which annually compiles a toy safety report. The group released its report Tuesday at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

If a child were to swallow two or more magnets, they could attract each other and cause a bowel obstruction, PIRGIM officials said.

Despite government regulations and warning labels, some toys are not suitable for young children, said David Pettit, a PIRGIM spokesman.

"Unfortunately, we still find trouble," Pettit said.

Last year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported almost 73,000 children under the age of 5 were sent to emergency rooms for toy-related injuries. Of those, 20 died.

PIRGIM offered several potential hazards for gift-givers to look out for:

• Small toys. Marbles and other small objects can be deadly to children ages 3 and younger. How small is too small? If the toy is small enough to fit inside the cardboard tube that your toilet paper comes on, it could be dangerous, Pettit said.

• Lead. Some pieces of toy jewelry contain lead. Examine content labels.

• Toys containing toxic chemicals. Phthalates, chemicals used to soften plastic toys and teethers, have been linked to health problems. And, Pettit said, be careful because some phthalate-free labels are false. Soft plastic with a new car smell may be a warning sign.

Mattel's recall decision came after three reports of injuries.

Holly Bair, Beaumont's trauma program manager, said: "You need to be diligent about what your kid is playing with."

Contact FRANK WITSIL at 248-351-3690 or witsil@freepress.com.
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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../611220452/1004

Published: November 22. 2006 3:00AM
Wayne County
NEWS IN A MINUTE: Wayne County

November 22, 2006

Email this Print this WESTLAND: Middle-schooler held on gun count

An eighth-grader arrested Monday for taking a gun to his school remained in custody Tuesday.

Investigators are trying to learn where the 13-year-old got the weapon that he took to Marshall Middle School.

The boy told school authorities he purchased the .25-caliber pistol but did not have ammunition. None was found on the student or among his belongings at school, Wayne-Westland Community Schools Superintendent Greg Baracy said Tuesday.

A group of students told a teacher that the boy had a gun, Baracy said. The boy then removed the unloaded weapon from his pocket. He had not made any threats, Baracy said.

The boy has been charged with possession of a weapon on school property, police said.

NORTHVILLE: Grade-schoolers head for competition in Monroe

Fifth-graders at Amerman Elementary School in Northville, using research by scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and the University of Oulu in Finland, have found a way to print electrically conductive patterns of carbon nanotubes, which are 10,000 times smaller than a human hair.

Adam Crittenden, Andrea Meister, Mark Leja, Max Paul, Rachel Crittenden and Simone Young, replaced printer toner with carbon nanotubes and sugar. They hope the mixture someday could make circuit boards so tiny that an Apple iPod could fit in someone's ear. They will present their findings at the Mission Possible Regional First Lego League Tournament on Dec. 2 in Monroe.

Compiled by Korie Wilkins, Emilia Askari and other Free Press staff.
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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../611220356/1005

Published: November 22. 2006 3:00AM
Oakland County
Bloomfield Hills wants new schools

November 22, 2006

BY LORI HIGGINS

FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER
The Bloomfield Hills School District is stepping up its campaign to educate residents about a proposal to build two new high schools, with poll results showing that the more people know about the idea and the needs of the existing schools, the more likely they are to support the proposal.

"We're doing everything we can to get information to our parents, and the other 80% in the community who don't have kids in our schools, so they can make an informed decision," said Betsy Erikson, director of communications and community relations for the district.

District voters could have a chance to make a decision as early as May 7, the date of the annual school board elections. The district's Board of Education likely will decide next year whether to put it on that ballot.

Until then, though, Erikson said the district is sending out postcards to district residents "trying to drill down the needs." The district's Web site also offers residents details about the proposal.

The information campaign was spawned after a poll conducted in September and October showed that when first asked about the proposal, just 45% supported it. That support jumped to 54% as participants were given more information. The poll of 309 people was conducted by EPIC-MRA, a Lansing polling firm, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points.

The $121-million proposal includes building two new high schools on the sites of the existing buildings -- Andover High School which opened in 1955 and Lahser High School, which opened in 1967.

Wendy Metzger of Bloomfield Township, who has four children in the district, likes the proposal. She said she saw the problems up close when she visited Lahser last week for a preview night for her daughter, who'll be a freshman there next school year.

Metzger said the schools excel academically, but physically, "they're just so outdated."

"We love what's going on in the high schools," Metzger said. "We think they need to be supported by great facilities."

For more information, visit the district's Web site, www.bloomfield.org. Contact LORI HIGGINS at 248-351-3694 or lhiggins@freepress.com.
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Bloomfield Hills wants new schools

November 22, 2006

BY LORI HIGGINS

FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER
The Bloomfield Hills School District is stepping up its campaign to educate residents about a proposal to build two new high schools, with poll results showing that the more people know about the idea and the needs of the existing schools, the more likely they are to support the proposal.

"We're doing everything we can to get information to our parents, and the other 80% in the community who don't have kids in our schools, so they can make an informed decision," said Betsy Erikson, director of communications and community relations for the district.

District voters could have a chance to make a decision as early as May 7, the date of the annual school board elections. The district's Board of Education likely will decide next year whether to put it on that ballot.

Until then, though, Erikson said the district is sending out postcards to district residents "trying to drill down the needs." The district's Web site also offers residents details about the proposal.

The information campaign was spawned after a poll conducted in September and October showed that when first asked about the proposal, just 45% supported it. That support jumped to 54% as participants were given more information. The poll of 309 people was conducted by EPIC-MRA, a Lansing polling firm, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points.

The $121-million proposal includes building two new high schools on the sites of the existing buildings -- Andover High School which opened in 1955 and Lahser High School, which opened in 1967.

Wendy Metzger of Bloomfield Township, who has four children in the district, likes the proposal. She said she saw the problems up close when she visited Lahser last week for a preview night for her daughter, who'll be a freshman there next school year.

Metzger said the schools excel academically, but physically, "they're just so outdated."

"We love what's going on in the high schools," Metzger said. "We think they need to be supported by great facilities."

For more information, visit the district's Web site, www.bloomfield.org. Contact LORI HIGGINS at 248-351-3694 or lhiggins@freepress.com.


Imagine that......a BOE seeking support from the community. I doubt Livonia will have any money left to build new high schools.....I forgot.....they won't have to build more.....

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