Comments on: 17th Monthly Milestone

By: Mary Matthews

Mary Matthews — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:23:01 +0000

This lovely column is a perfect example of the Chronicle’s excellence. This website is not a place but a voice, with a heart and an incisive mind. Thank you, annarborchronicle, for being my favorite local spot on the internet.

By: TeacherPatti

TeacherPatti — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:15:38 +0000

Beautiful article!

I’m not sure if this would work for ex-felons, but current felons (specifically, Jackson Prison) work at the Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund. They go to the office from 9-5 (obviously, it’s on prison grounds) and work on Braille all day. Some do regular transcribing, others do higher level work like making tactile maps and charts and such. Still others know and transcribe music Braille, which I don’t know myself. This is great because something like 60%+ of Braille orders go unfilled. (Trust me…I never get the textbooks that I need for my students). It’s not like anyone is “taking” a job away from someone else (an argument used when prisoners used to make license plates) and it’s filling a need.
The ground was generous enough to give me a scholarship back in the day and I got to go out and visit them. The guys talked to my group and said that many of them did stuff they weren’t proud of, but this program gave them a chance to really do something important. It was a win-win, all the way around and realistically could work with ex-felons, I suppose.

By: Stephen Cain

Stephen Cain — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:51:10 +0000

Your marvelous monthly milestone (sorry for the three “M”s but marvelous was the right word) epitomizes why, although I scan AnnArbor.com for news, I spend time every day with the Ann Arbor Chronicle. As a former Ann Arbor News staffer, I was greatly saddened by the decline and killing of what was once a fine newspaper. Tony Dearing is a good journalist and was a friend during his days at The News. I wish him well and hope the enterprise succeeds, but I sense it lacks a critical dimension that you and Mary bring to The Chronicle. I want to say “soul,” but there probably is a better word. Perhaps some of the folks whose comments make such good reading can suggest one.

By: Maura Thomson

Maura Thomson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:19:48 +0000

“Instead of dreaming, I’m going to suggest that they be awake to the possibility that what they might enjoy most in life is something they never dreamed of. That’s why we have this expression in English: “I never would have dreamed it.” Be open to the thing that you never would have dreamed of.” Thanks for the reminder.

By: Gary Salton

Gary Salton — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:56:33 +0000

Dave–Great idea with the “park maintenance, servicing trash cans is something that’s conceivable by bicycle trailer”. You might even consider becoming an “angel investor” by using your knowledge of bikes to set him/her up cheap. That, along with your knowledge of entrepreneurial ventures (i.e., the Chronicle), would position you to help along the way. Plus, as the “angel investor” the new business owner would have to listen to you. That’s always a plus.

It also seems to me that this would work for Ann Arbor. I don’t know about the cost but my bet it would be competitive. The image advantages would be outstanding. I can see the city drumming up a PR campaign around the initiative.

Keep thinking, Dave. Your ideas have a lot of merit. They seem to represent the kind of bootstrapping initiatives that Ann Arbor needs.

By: Ruth Kraut

Ruth Kraut — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:18:38 +0000

Seems more like a Valentine’s Day message than a Groundhog Day message:)

By: Joan Kauffman

Joan Kauffman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:19:57 +0000

This was a joy to read. Thanks for the lift!

By: Amy Whitesall

Amy Whitesall — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:22:53 +0000

Awww, really nicely done, Dave.

By: anna ercoli schnitzer

anna ercoli schnitzer — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:16:05 +0000

Yes, I couldn’t agree more with Susan (#6). Dave, you and Mary set such an intelligent yet gentle atmosphere in your medium and your standards are so high that, for the most part, your commenters are inspired to follow your lead. You have the most civil, respectful comments I have seen anywhere lately. They are a pleasure to read!

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:57:46 +0000

Dave,

Great and thoughtful column as always. Maybe we should all have periodic milestones where we stop and check in with ourselves and our dreams.

In your column though is a thread I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. Commenters to the Chronicle are simply more graceful and open to dissent that those elsewhere. Maybe your policy of ‘be generous’ and its inherent assumption that your readers are adults makes people more thoughtful.

Thanks for providing an outlet for those of us who still believe that thoughtful people have all kinds of opinions, not just those I agree with.