Archive for September, 2008

On Notional Slurry, Bill Tozier lays out an unvarnished view of the agenda provided for a contingent of visitors from North Carolina to Ann Arbor – a group that, based on the agenda, is leaving town even now as The Chronicle is publishing this New Media Watch item. From Bill’s self-described “off the cuff” piece: ” … the city hasn’t even got the brains or social capital to think of us. Whoever ‘us’ is.” [Source]

A NYTimes article reports that UM prof Thomas Buchmueller and three other health economists analyze John McCain’s health care proposal – specifically, claims that it would “put 25 to 30 million individuals out of the ranks of the uninsured, into the ranks of the insured.” Writing in the journal Health Affairs, the academics say that “initially there would be no real change in the number of people covered as a result of the McCain plan.” [Source]

The State News, Michigan State University’s student newspaper, reports on Strathmore Development Co.’s delays in its City Center II project in East Lansing. Strathmore is also developing Broadway Village in Ann Arbor’s Lower Town district, and the article talks with Ann Arbor officials about delays in that project as well. Says Councilmember Sabra Briere: “There’s no reason to think they couldn’t do a really fine job somewhere else … but they certainly have not done a fine job in Ann Arbor.” [Source]

Ever wonder what our community leaders tell visitors to Ann Arbor about the city’s town gown relations? @orangepolitics is Twittering live the remarks of A2 and UM luminaries. Highlights: “Jim Kosteva, UofM: ‘town-gown relations are like a marriage wher divorce is not an option.’ Then he hands the city councilwmn some flowers!” Councilwoman in question is Briere. [Source]

Two newspapers from the Chapel Hill, N.C. area – The Herald Sun and the News & Observer – file stories from Monday’s meetings between Ann Arbor and Chapel Hill representatives. About 100 people from the Chapel Hill area are in town for an “inter-city” visit to learn about Ann Arbor’s approach to development, social services and other issues. [Source] [Source]

Almost all local news media report on the early morning three-semi crash on I-94 between Chelsea and Ann Arbor. Two drivers were killed and a stretch of interstate has been closed for several hours. Here’s The Ann Arbor News story and photo. [Source]

Set of steps from sidewalk hatch previously leading to a basement.

These old wooden stairs likely pique the curiosity of passersby, whether they are longtime residents or first-time visitors. For one thing, they don’t lead anywhere. The Chronicle had previously corresponded via electronic mail with the owners of the steps about their history.

And two Sunday evenings ago when we spotted two people emerging from the office space in front of which the stairs are mounted – armed with schematic drawings affixed to large pieces of foam core – we figured they were headed the same direction we were: to Sunday night caucus at city council chambers in the Larcom Building.

So we took the opportunity to make face-to-face introductions, and to get the story behind the steps. [Full Story]

A post by Shyaka Kanuma on AllAfrica.com takes a very critical look at how UM’s William Davidson Institute is getting paid to set up a School of Finance and Banking in Rwanda. [Source]

At its Monday evening meeting, the Ann Arbor District Library board unanimously approved tearing down the main library building and constructing a new one from the ground up, rather than renovating the existing building on South Fifth Avenue.

The decision gives the go-ahead for architects to focus on that option, said AADL director Josie Parker. She said it also means she will focus on funding options, including going to voters to request a new millage for the project, which could cost more than $70 million.

From left: Ann Arbor District Library Director Josie Parker, board chair Rebecca Head, and board members Jan Barney Newman and Prue Rosenthal, at the Sept. 15 board meeting.

[Full Story]

The Michigan Innovators site, run by EMU prof Bud Gibson, posted a video interview with Skip Simms of Ann Arbor Spark, talking about the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, which invests in early-stage technology firms. [Source]

The University of Michigan Board of Regents will meet this Thursday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. in the Fleming Administration Building, 503 Thompson St. A limited number of public comment slots are available. You get 5 minutes, but you need to sign up by 9 a.m. the day before the meeting. The sign-up form is here.

Here are some items on their agenda:

• A $48.6 million project to 1) build a parking structure on Wall Street to provide 550 new spaces and a small transit center “to encourage the use of buses and shuttles”; and 2) build a 40,000-square-foot office building to house the Michigan Business Engagement Center. The center “is to function as the gateway to the university for … [Full Story]
  

The Michigan Daily reports that residents in Ann Arbor’s Lower Town area are upset about two parking structures that UM has proposed to build near its medical campus. The plans are expected to be on the agenda for this Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting. Says resident Eliana Moya-Raggio: “We are told what they’re going to do – we are not consulted at all. I don’t think they know the concept of dialogue.” [Source]

The Detroit News reviews the former Ann Arbor band Tally Hall (which moved to NYC this month) and its “Tally Hall Internet Show (T.H.I.S),” online at www.tallyhall.com. Member Zubin Sedghi says: “It’s a tool for people to get to know us and the fact that we’re musicians. We’re kind of a double-threat in that we do this video content stuff, and we’re also a band.” Re. their new digs in Brooklyn: “Three of us shared a house in Ann Arbor, and it felt palatial compared to this. Now I walk out of my bedroom into my living room and I’m like, ‘This is it, this is all I’ve got.’ ” [Source]

A Bloomberg News article on how the next president will inherit a “post-American era,” which narrows our foreign-policy options, quotes Ken Lieberthal, a UM prof and former National Security Council member during the Clinton administration. China, he says, is “a major power to reckon with. We can’t tell the Chinese how to govern themselves and what to do.” [Source]

Norm Cox of The Greenway Collaborative in Ann Arbor is quoted in a Times Herald (Port Huron) article about a bike trail being built in that area. He’s also developing a countywide “wayfaring package” to the Bridge-to-Bay route. “In an ideal world, ideally you want the trails to work as a network, where no matter where you enter the trail, you go in a direction and make a loop without having to backtrack.” [Source]

In the blog ”on the road of rue & wormwood,” Merrie Haskell writes about a trip to the Milan Kroger, and gives her thoughts on why some groceries are better than others. [Source]

Close-up of a schwag bag for visitors from Chapel Hill.

Over 100 community leaders from the Chapel Hill, N.C. area traveled to Ann Arbor this weekend to learn about this city – its town/gown relations, approach to economic development, social services, environmental stewardship and other shared issues, like which city’s residents complain more about parking.

They’ll be here through mid-Tuesday, holding sessions with a variety of local people in government, business and nonprofit groups. The group kicked off the visit with a reception Sunday evening at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. [.pdf of complete agenda] [Full Story]

The Freep profiles Vinay Gupta, a “serial entrepreneur” who is now CEO of Janeeva Inc. in Ann Arbor. “As an entrepreneur you always have an optimistic point of view. If you are not optimistic, you are not an entrepreneur because the odds are against you.” The article includes comments from local venture capitalist Rick Snyder and Tom Kinnear, head of UM’s Zell-Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. [Source]

A Flint Journal article looks at the gender balance for coaching high school sports, and notes that many girls’ sports are coached by men. Male coaches also are generally paid more. The article mentions that Meg Seng of Greenhills School in Ann Arbor teaches a summer course for girls on coaching. “We need to do a better job of educating (women) to seize these opportunities.” [Source]

The Dallas Morning News has a piece on GM’s 100th anniversary and some of its current struggles. The article quotes David Cole of Ann Arbor’s Center for Automotive Research: “They’re swimming across a river that is getting deeper and moving faster, trying to reach the pot of gold on the other side. But what people don’t realize is that the pot of gold is getting bigger and brighter all the time.” [Source]