Problem: Nine families displaced by a fire at Alamo Hills Apartments in March filed lawsuits Wednesday against the apartment complex. They allege that the complex could have done more to protect belongings they were forced to abandon in the aftermath of the blaze. Bernard Dempsey Jr., an attorney with Western Michigan Legal Services, the group that represents the tenants, said Alamo Hills gave the displaced families very limited opportunity to remove belongings. "They were given three days to get their stuff out, and if they couldn't get moved out in three days, their stuff was discarded," Dempsey said. "Alamo Hills just threw it out." Others, he said, lost possessions to looters after the March 23 blaze, which left 78 people temporarily homeless. According to the lawsuit, the tenants were prohibited from entering their apartments to retrieve possessions and were promised that the complex would provide security. A spokesperson for PM One, the company that manages Alamo Hills, could not be reached for comment. Nine separate suits were filed in 8th District Court, which handles civil claims of less than $25,000. "We're asking for the reimbursement of the value of their property and a small amount for stress -- $3,000 on top of their out-of-pocket expenses for their lost stuff," Dempsey said. "They're not looking to get rich off this. A lot of this is simply because they were treated so badly." Dempsey said most of the tenants who filed suits still live at the apartment complex, although many are trying to find homes elsewhere. "The new apartments (they were provided) were not in very good shape. That's actually one of the claims," he said.

Question: "What are the nine families asking for in their lawsuits?"

Answer: "Nine separate suits were filed in 8th District Court, which handles civil claims of less than $25,000"
Answer: no

Problem: My parents, Kelly and Kelley, said that it was that time of year to take a family vacation. We've been to big ride parks that have hotels with large pools. This year my parents wanted to do something different. They wanted to take us all to Elk River Castle. After lots of planning we hit the road for our trip. My Brother Kelsey and I enjoyed the long car ride there. Once we arrive, the castle looked much bigger than we had imagined. There was so much to see and so much to do. There was a swimming pool, movie theater and an elevator to take us from floor to floor. What a magical place! I was so excited because we had the whole place to our family! We spent our vacation playing around the huge castle and finding small mysterious places. There was even a tiny room in the back of one of the closets. My brother, Kelsey, and I played hide and go seek for hours, watched movies and swam until the sun went down. It was sad when our vacation finally came to an end but we made some amazing memories. We'll never forget our trip to Elk River Castle!

Question: "Even though the narrator's parents wanted to plan a different-than-normal family vacation, name at least one thing that was the same as past vacations."

Answer: "There was an elevator in the castle"
Answer: no

Problem: Reducing resource use means just what it says using fewer resources. There are lots of ways to reduce our use of resources. Buy durable goods. Choose items that are well made so they will last longer. Youll buy fewer items in the long run, so youll save money as well as resources. Thats a win-win! Repair rather than replace. Fix your bike rather than buying a new one. Sew on a button instead of buying a new shirt. Youll use fewer resources and save money. Buy only what you need. Dont buy a gallon of milk if you can only drink half of it before it spoils. Instead, buy a half gallon and drink all of it. You wont be wasting resources (or money!) Buy local. For example, buy local produce at a farmers market, like the one in Figure 2.20. A lot of resources are saved by not shipping goods long distances. Products bought at farmers markets use less packaging, too! About a third of what we throw out is packaging.

Question: "How does buying durable items save resources?"

Answer: "You will use less nuclear energy"
Answer:
no