Vesper Road

Hey! We didn’t get an A2 Journal. :(

The only people on my street to get them are A2 News subscribers. They have a phone number to ask for a free subscription, I’d give it to you, but I’d hate to annoy The Chronicle.

We certainly weren’t News subscribers, though I did have a subscription to Business Review. I thought they were going to deliver free to all households.

Sure enough the A2 Journal took it upon themselves to throw illegal litter all over the neighborhoods in order to support their advertising; including empty houses, houses for sale and for some reason the street and gutter in many places.

This distribution method is illegal per the Ann Arbor Police community standards department. The applicable City code is:

7:92. Litter in public places or upon private premises.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any street, sidewalk, park, or other public place, or upon any private premises, except in waste receptacles or in officially designated refuse disposal sites.

7:94. Litter thrown by persons in vehicles.
No person shall throw litter from a vehicle.

7:97. Distributing handbills or newspapers.
No person shall throw or deposit any handbill or newspaper upon any sidewalk, street, park or other public place except for drop-off distribution points for newspapers to be delivered the same day as distributed. However, it shall not be unlawful for a person to hand out or distribute a handbill or newspaper to any person willing to accept it.

I got the A2 Journal and now know the mayor likes the Huron River and what his fave dessert is. And I know what softball, feel good, shallow reporting is as well.

I felt a bit of optimism when I saw a new “paper” paper arrive on my doorstep, even if it was delivered in the same “throw trash from a car” method that the Ann Arbor News previously used every Monday. I was much less optimistic when I saw that it was published by Heritage Newspapers, a shop locally known for taking a charming (if inconsistent) hometown Chelsea Standard and turning it decidedly third-rate. So far, there is more news on the front page of the Chronicle than I found in four print sections of the Journal.

I did learn about the mango tart, but not about why the place to buy the mango tart is going out of business. That isn’t a very feel good issue I suppose.

Personally, what I find far more annoying than the A2 journal and it’s “trash from a car” distribution are all of the bogus, unwanted phone books we receive throughout the year.

I wish *all* phone books were on a request-only basis.

I was wondering if I was the only one who didn’t like getting paper-filled plastic bags thrown (littered) on my driveway. I could see maybe if I asked for it. If I stuck some paper in a bag and threw it on my neighbor’s driveway one a week, what would it be called? I believe the term is “littering.”

Zanzibar is going out of business!?

Rod, Zanzibar’s last day was Saturday, July 18. Not clear what the plans are for that spot.

I have it from herself that Sava Lelcaj is taking over Zanzibar’s space.

How sad (about Z., I mean, not Sava).

And the winner in the contest to get their publication closest to my front door to match the years of great service by the late, lamented Ann Arbor New.

2nd runner up- Ann Arbor Journal, on the lawn extension two weeks in a row, close to the gutter and looking pretty close to roadside litter.

1st runner up, the first issue of AnnArbor.com, in the driveway, at the very end close to the street but just over the sidewalk (and not on the lawn exention).

The winner is (so far) The Detroit Freee Press, in the driveway, a foot away from the garage door but closest to the actual front door (still thirty feet away). Of course, the Thursday delivery was soaking wet, even with the paper inside of a plastic bag but after an email complaint that was never answered, the Sunday issue was in TWO bags).

Can’t wait for the start of Michigan’s winter…

We had much better service than reported here – our News carrier would bring it into the house (then plop down in a chair, rifle through to find the comics, and drop the rest on the floor. Oh wait, maybe that isn’t better service…)

Our first AnnArbor.com came late (the Sunday one), and only after I called in a complaint. The next one (first Thursday edition) never came – I called in the complaint too late for delivery. The rest have arrived in reasonable time. But honestly? I wish my son still had his job. Since he’s not 18, he isn’t eligible to be a carrier for aa.com.