Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • A1

1 Paymentsmaybehigherinsomestates.Optiontopurchaseatleaseendforanamounttobedeterminedatleasesigning.GMFinancialmustapprovelease.Takedeliveryby5/31/17.Mileagechargeof$.25/mileover20,000miles.Lesseepaysformaintenance,excesswearandadispositionfeeof$495 orlessatendoflease.Notavailablewithsomeotheroffers.Residencyrestrictionsapply.©2017GeneralMotors.Allrightsreserved.GMC®Terrain® JUSTANNOUNCED! TERRAINMEMORIALDAY BONUSCASH GMC.COM 2017GMCTERRAINSLE-1 Nosecuritydepositrequired. ULTRALOWMILEAGELEASEFORWELLQUALIFIEDGMEMPLOYEEPROGRAM PARTICIPANTSWITHANEXPIRINGNON-GMLEASE 198 PERMONTH 1 24 MONTHS dueatsigning afteralloffers 198 INCLUDES 500TERRAINMEMORIALDAYBONUSCASH Vol. 187, Number 15 2017 Detroit Free Press Printed in the U.S. $1.50 ONGUARDFOR186YEARS Friday5.19.2017 www.freep.com 6C 12A 14A 2C 2A 10A 9A 4C 1C 2A 4A 5C 6-7C 1B INDEX COOLER, BUT ANICE DAY FORECAST, 2A 63 49 High Low It began with a piano that was exiled to the family garage. It was there, behind the small family home in 1945 Los Angeles, where 10-year-old David DiChiera officially began his musical career.

The piano was, DiChiera says, piece of junk. But it Tonight, 72 years after laying claim to that battered upright piano, DiChiera will be celebrated by hundreds of friends, music afi- cionados and civic leaders who will converge on the Detroit Opera House to salute his leadership of Michigan Opera Theatre, the company he founded in 1971. stepping down July 1 as the artistic director. MOT CELEBRATES DAVID DICHIERA OPERATIC POWERHOUSE HELPED LIFT DETROIT MAY 9 PHOTO BY ROMAIN FREE PRESS Michigan Opera David DiChiera, 82, will be stepping down July 1 as the artistic director. miss being in the middle of everything that goes on in a big artistic operation like he says.

Now he wants to write a book. Gala tonight will salute pioneer who had a vision for the city By David Lyman Special to the Detroit Free Press See GALA, Page6A Staff and students at Portage Central High School are grieving the loss of a 2016 graduate who died Thursday when a vehicle careened into a crowd in New York Times Square, killing the young woman and injuring her sister and 21 others. Alyssa Elsman, 18, was kind and compassionate, known around the school for selling muffins she baked in a cooking class, principal Eric Alburtus said. all kind of a he said Thursday afternoon as the community absorbed the news. Aman who appeared to be intoxicated steered his car onto a sidewalk in Times Square around midday, killing Elsman and injuring 22 others, including 13-year-old sister, Ava, who attends Portage Central Middle School.

The driver, 26-year-old Richard Rojas, was tackled by pedestrians after he tried to flee and was taken into custody. The Navy veteran from the Bronx told officers he was hearing voices and expected to die, two law enforcement officials said. Alburtus was in a meeting when a news alert City mourns woman killed by a car in Times Square Friends and others in Portage remember her as quiet, kind By Ann Zaniewski and Dillon Davis Detroit Free Press and Battle Creek Enquirer See TIMES SQUARE, Page10A Last night just seemed like another Soundgarden show my fifth time seeing the iconic grunge band live, and second time in Detroit. hard to pass up a good rock show at downtown Fox Theatre, one of the architectural gems and a staple in its music history, its stage graced by the likes of Iggy Pop and Prince. But when I woke up this morning, everything had changed.

And the sold- out show suddenly took on a different meaning. Chris Cornell, lead singer, was found dead in his hotel room at MGM Grand Detroit just hours after the group performed at the Fox, with a medical examinernow ruling hisdeath a suicide. CHRIS LAST SHOW Something right Missing words, leaving the stage singer gave clues before suicide By Ashley Zlatopolsky Special to the Detroit Free Press See CORNELL, Page8A Chris Cornell of Soundgarden died at a hotel in Detroit after a concert. CORNELL LEAVES RICH ROCK HISTORY IN DETROIT8A Business GM to halt sales in India, exit S. Africa 12A Metro Oakland Community College has new leader but why? 4A Sports J.D.

Martinez powers series clincher over Orioles 1B President Donald administration formally notified Congress on Thursday of its intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, taking the first step toward fulfilling a promise to make a long-standing trade deal particularly important for American automakers pay off in terms of U.S. jobs and exports. The long-expected move was met with calls from Ford to address currency manipulation in all trade deals and a statement from American Automotive Policy Council President Matt Blunt defending the 25-year-old trade deal as having boost the global competitiveness of the U.S. auto support modernizing the agreement in ways that will further strengthen North America as a manufacturing powerhouse, stimulate economic growth and drive job said Blunt, whose group represents Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. While Democrats and some IMAGES President Donald Trump has threatened to exit NAFTA.

Trump formally calls for talks on NAFTA Detroit 3 group backs updating trade pact By Todd Spangler Detroit Free Press See TRADE, Page3A.