Archive for November, 2008

City of Ann Arbor systems planner Wendy Rampson responds to a question from Ed Walsh, a citizen who attended Monday's A2D2 briefing in city council chambers.

At a work session sometime in January 2009, city council is expected to discuss proposed zoning changes to downtown Ann Arbor, which have emerged from a process involving consultants, staff, and the public over more than two years. But before that, the A2D2 steering committee, which consists of Roger Hewitt (DDA), Marcia Higgins (city council) and Evan Pratt (planning commission), will meet in the Larcom Building’s sixth-floor conference room on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. to review comments and feedback accumulated to date. (That is a public meeting, but there is no public participation component.) [Full Story]

The Chicago Tribune cites local sources in its article about the debate over whether to bail out the auto industry or let companies declare bankruptcy: “The Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., which has close ties to the industry, produced a widely cited report warning that because the auto business is so interwoven, a single bankruptcy among Detroit’s Big Three threatens to topple the entire industry and beyond….But critics note that the report paints a doomsday scenario by assuming that a bankrupt company will eventually shut down because spooked consumers will stop buying its cars and trucks. Many companies, they point out, have survived Chapter 11 reorganization and emerged as stronger competitors.” [Source]

CNSNews.com posts an article about the proposed auto industry bailout. Hart Posen, a UM business school professor, still questions the 1979 bailout of Chrysler: “There is no evidence that, in the long run, having bailed out Chrysler we’ve done anything good for the Michigan economy…My sense is that even with the bailout, one or more of those firms will disappear anyway. There is significant overcapacity in the American automobile industry, and it is typically inevitable when there is significant overcapacity that some of it gets eliminated.” [Source]

Carsten Hohnke and Mike Anglin, both of Ward 5, framed by the chairs of Christopher Taylor and Leigh Greden, both of Ward 3.

Outside the Larcom Building around 6 p.m., Ann Arbor Police Lt. Michael Logghe was using a “slim Jim” to try to gain entry to a citizen’s car. The woman had locked herself out of her vehicle with the engine running.

She was there to pay a $15 parking ticket. She was hoping to avoid a call to the tow truck. Logghe had not achieved success by the time The Chronicle headed inside for the reception for new members of council.

Later, inside Larcom, the newly constituted city council with four new members began its year of work by approving the transfer of a liquor license to Quickie Burger, three drainage projects to be implemented to reduce phosphorus load along Allen Creek, plus a contract with Dawn Farms to provide in-patient and out-patient drug abuse counseling and rehabilitation services to the 15th Judicial District Court. [Full Story]

Washtenaw County clerk Larry Kestenbaum, writing on his Live Journal blog, describes a Community Action Network 2009 fundraising calendar featuring local politicians and their pets. He links to a proof of the calendar, which includes newly elected sheriff Jerry Clayton and his horse Sugar (July), county prosecutor Brian Mackie and his dogs Audrey and Scruffy (March), and state Rep. Pam Byrnes with her miniature donkey (February). Kestenbaum (May) is with his cat, Jupiter. [Source]

Bloomberg News reports on rising salaries for presidents of public universities – UM President Mary Sue Coleman has the fifth-highest annual compensation nationwide, at $760,196. The figures are based on an annual salary survey by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Says U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who has held hearings on rising tuition costs: “The Chronicle’s study shows that the executive suite seems insulated from budget crunches. While endowment values and payouts for financial aid may be decreasing, there’s still money for the president’s salary increase.” [Source]

The Bethel A.M.E. Church website posts several dozen photos of the Soweto Gospel Choir, which performed during the church’s Oct. 16 worship service. [Source]

An Ann Arbor cab driver describes a rather active Friday night shift: “One thing I’ve learned by hard experience over the years is, once you tell someone to get out, they get out. NO second chances. When she finally got out, the guy with the mouth came over and tried to shatter the window by slamming the door as hard as was physically possible. I started to get out of the cab, and he went even further psycho describing in great detail how he was going to break me into little pieces. There are times when it’s seriously tempting to carry a cattle prod. [Source]

An article in the Battle Creek Enquirer about smoking bans includes two Ann Arbor sources – the Ann Arbor-based Smoke-Free Environments Law Project, and Jim Burgman of the Center for Social Gerontology. Burgman said raw sewage is regulated for public health: ”It’s the same thing with secondhand smoke. We know we have a toxic substance there and simply saying people should voluntarily deal with this simply doesn’t work. I think most folks these days feel there isn’t an adequate way of dealing with it other than through law.” [Source]

“Oooh, shiny!” exclaimed Howard Ando and Jane Wilkinson when we unveiled our set of six petanque boules, scarcely used over a decade since they were purchased.

Petanque boules (shiny metal) bracket the cochonnet, or jack, on Howard Ando and Jane Wilkinson's court.

The couple’s own set of metal boules were dull with the wear of frequent play on the gravel surface typical for petanque. Over the last two years, much of that play has come on the rectangle of gravel in the side yard of the couple’s Ypsilanti home, just west of the Eastern Michigan University campus.

After seeing the game played during their visits to France, they developed a passion for it that led them to have their own court constructed. And now they’d like to invest in petanque for the public – they’ve offered to pony up the cash for a facility in Burns Park. A public meeting to discuss the potential facility will be held on Monday, Nov. 17 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Ann Arbor Senior Center at Burns Park. [Full Story]

In a Sunday evening caucus where no members of the general public except for The Chronicle appeared, councilmembers who were present focused their attention mostly on a liquor license transfer, which is on Monday’s agenda. But Marcia Higgins, Sabra Briere, plus newly elected members of council Carsten Hohnke, Sandi Smith, and Tony Derezinski, revealed some quiz-worthy trivia in the course of their deliberations. [Full Story]

A Nov. 13 administrative briefing and appointments caucus for the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners revealed some disagreements regarding the reappointment of Road Commissioner Fred Veigel, as well as a reluctance to fund the proposed Aerotropolis project. The commissioners also decided to hold a public hearing for a proposed increase to the hotel/motel room tax. [Full Story]

The Farmers Marketer writes about a new blog and other things related to backyard chickens in Ann Arbor: “Yes,  Ann Arbor City Chickens have arrived, and there’s already a Facebook support group for interested parties.  A couple of weeks ago, I went to the great workshop that Matthaei offered on Yard Hens, where I learned about everything from chicken tractors and egg mash to Silverlace Wyandottes and nest boxes.” [Source]

The Freep profiles Margaret (Meg) Noori, a UM professor of Ojibwe: “It’s now or never. We’re losing our elders. We’re losing our language. Our biggest service is to get people to realize that the language was spoken 500,000 years ago, and it’s still spoken, and it’s still here.” [Source]

The Columbus Dispatch, in an article about the auto industry crisis, cites an oft-quoted study by the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research. The study estimates that if the domestic automakers cut their workforce by 50 percent, the total direct and indirect job loss would reach nearly 2.5 million. The article also quotes CAR’s president, David Cole, who is optimistic in the long term: “The future looks extremely bright. The challenge for people in the industry is to live that long.” [Source]

[Full Story]

Supporters of marriage equality line the plaza in front of the post office on East Liberty. The group later marched through downtown, then headed over to the Diag for a rally.

The chanting was faint but audible from about two blocks away, growing louder on approach to the post office plaza at Fifth and Liberty: “Love, don’t hate! Don’t discriminate!” Drivers honked as their cars passed the crowd of about 250 people who came out on a miserably wet and cold Saturday afternoon to support marriage equality.

Many held umbrellas, rainbow-striped flags and handmade signs, including one that read “The weather sucks, but so does inequality.” [Full Story]

Ellen Schulmeister, executive director of the Shelter Association, was honored at Thursday night's awards dinner. Behind her, from left, are Diane Davidson, Bob Guenzel, Judy Rumelhart and Chuck Kieffer.

It takes a community to end homelessness – that message was repeated like a mantra at Thursday night’s dinner for the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County at the Michigan League ballroom, which brought together many of the people responsible for working toward that goal over the past 25 years.

Foremost among them was Ellen Schulmeister, the association’s executive director, who was honored at the event – much to her surprise. [Full Story]

The blog for Project Grow reminds gardeners about its heirloom seed collection, and links to a recent Michigan Radio Environment Report on the topic: “Choices as simple as this help maintain the diversity of fruits and vegetables and help ensure our food security now and into the future. So, don your superhero cape, sit down with your seed catalog, and carry on!” [Source]

An Associated Press article looks at how the economy is affecting college athletic programs. The piece notes that UM is getting a double-whammy from the economy and a losing season. Says Michigan fan and donor Larry Adkins: ”You have to start thinking about how much you give. You have to start thinking about everything. The auto industry here is in big trouble, and that affects my business and all kinds of other businesses. The first things you stop spending money on are the things you don’t absolutely need.” [Source]

The Detroit News, Free Press and Ann Arbor News all report on the celebration marking the end of the Michigan Difference campaign, which raised $3.1 billion for UM over several years – making it the largest fundraising campaign by a public university. [Source] [Source]

Pot & Box bouquets for sale at Everyday Wines.

Economic development doesn’t always hinge on bureaucracies or government funding. It also happens organically, when small businesses find ways to help each other blossom.

You can see that phenomenon in person at Everyday Wines, a Kerrytown shop owned by Mary Campbell. She’s now providing space for two other businesses – Pot & Box and A Knife’s Work – to sell flowers and food there, giving the store the feel of a small European market. [Full Story]

The North by Northwestern blog has a post about what to do if you’re a Northwestern fan coming to Saturday’s football game at Michigan Stadium. One suggestion – Zingerman’s Deli, of course: “Order one of the dozens upon dozens of magnificent sandwiches (by name or number), and while you wait, sample fancy olive oils or a 150-year-old balsamic vinegar. I recommend #73, Tarb’s Tenacious Tenure. Or you can just do what my dad does and order whatever matches the last two numbers on your odometer.” [Source]